Independence Day
by CayStar
Summary: Abandoned by her vampire and abused by her werewolf, Bella finds herself alone at the end of her too-short life. When Garrett decides to change her, will he find he has bitten off more than he can chew? AU, OOC, rated M for language and violence
1. Prologue- Time Ran Out

**_AN: This is my new story, and it's a little different from my previous ones. It's a bit darker, more angst, and more violence. It will be a slow build as well, Bella has some issues to work through first. This story came to me when I was listening to the radio- I wanted to do a Bella/Garrett story but didn't have a plot in mind. The song Independence Day by Martina McBride came on and this is what I came up with. Not sure how often I'll update, as Objects in Mirror is still my top priority, I just wanted to get this one out there to see what everyone thinks!_**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 1- Prologue- Time Ran Out_**

_"Some folks whispered and some folks talked_  
_But everybody looked the other way_  
_And when time ran out there was no one about _  
_On Independence Day."  
__-Martina McBride, Independence Day_  
**  
**

**~*ID*~**

Pain. Excruciating, unending pain. All around me, all over me, all I can feel is pain. He still doesn't stop hitting me, even though he has to see that I am all but dead already. His fists, his feet, even his elbow, they all keep trying to break me. Between punches and kicks, he's throwing words at me as well. He has to know it's hopeless- I've been broken for two years. The empty shell is all that is left. "Stupid leech fucker. I'm done with you now."

Despite the pain, I still manage to flinch when he spits at me. I can't even see him clearly, only a dark shadow hovering far above me. I want to laugh when the irony of his statement reaches me; he knows it's not true. He knows I was a virgin when he took me, but the insults never stop. My one mistake- loving the wrong family- will finally lead me to my death after all.

I breathe a small sigh of relief when he turns to walk away. It's short-lived when I make out his trembling form, the slightly blurred figure indicating an imminent phase. The man may be finished with me, but the wolf is not. A harsh growl is the last thing I hear as his razor-sharp claws tear through my body like tissue paper, finally allowing my mind to give up. I let the blackness carry me away and hope to never wake up again.

**~*ID*~**

The heat is the first thing I notice. Not warmth- heat. The all-too-familiar heat of a wolf. The arms around me feel wrong though, they are tender in their care, not rough or painful. Hot drops of water fall on my face and chest, startling my eyes open. I make out a face bowed over me, and I think I am being held on his lap. Is he crying? It can't be _him- _he would never cry over me. He laughed at the few tears I couldn't hold in over the years, and then beat me some more. He said tears were too good for me. I wasn't allowed to cry, because that's something humans did.

The face above me lets out a sob and tucks his head closer to me. "Oh, Bells, I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I didn't get you out sooner. I should have been there before he came back for you. I don't know what to do now, I don't know how you're still alive. I can't take you back there and I can't stay here with you." I finally recognize the voice holding me; it was Seth, of course. My only bright spot of hope in the midst of the hell I have been living. He is so young, and has seen too much evil around him, but he held tight to his humanity despite the opposition he faced.

I try to get my mouth to work, but I think my jaw must be broken again. I manage to gasp out a quiet whisper, "Seth?"

"Bella? Oh my god, Bella! I don't know what to do! I can't believe he did this, I never thought he would go this far. I really thought the imprint would make him forget about you, not try to kill you!" He breaks off crying again and tries to run his hand softly over my hair, but even that hurts. "Bells, I tried to fix you up the best I could, but it's bad. It's really bad. I- I just- Bella, look. I'm so sorry. I just don't think I can watch you die."

He bows his head lower and takes a deep shuddering breath. I feel a tender kiss on my forehead and want to cry at the first sign of affection I have felt in so long. I feel him start to lay me on the ground and I panic, wondering where I am now. "Shh, Bella. It's ok. I didn't know where else to bring you, but I hope this is ok. I don't think he'll look here and you can have your dignity at the end. I know I haven't been there for you like I should have, but I do love you. I hope you can find peace here."

As he pulls away, I gather the strength for one more word. "Where?"

He stands and looks down at me. The amount of blood on his bare chest makes me wonder how I still have any left inside me. Well, at least I won't have to worry about a vampire draining me. Ha ha. Not like there haven't been plenty of those around since _they_ left. Ouch. Even with my chest literally clawed to pieces, it still hurts to think of them. Of course Seth had to go and say it.

"You're at the Cullen house, Bella. I put you on the pretty white couch they have. Maybe that little fortune-teller will see this and know what they did to you when they left. I know you blame Jacob, and he's definitely the main culprit, but he would have never touched you if they hadn't left you here with us. If Edward hadn't left your heart broken first." His bitter words cut the final shred of sanity I am holding onto. This time I know I won't come out of the darkness.

**~*ID*~**

God, what is wrong with me? I can't even die right! This time it's an icy hand on my forehead that draws my eyes open once again. I have to blink slowly before I can finally focus, just in time to wish I hadn't opened them at all. The cold hand should have warned me, but the red eyes staring back at me seal my fate. I have come full circle. After all my near-death experiences with vampires, then werewolves, and a few attempted suicides thrown in for good measure, it's going to be a vampire that will finally kill me in the end.

Cool breath fans across my face, filling me with an old longing for my favorite frozen family. "Fuck, little one. What the hell happened to you? Does Carlisle know you're here?" His voice is smooth and deep, touching me somewhere deep inside. Hearing the name of my vampire father figure brings an ache to my heart, and I have to close my eyes against his intense gaze.

He brushes his hand across my face again, gentle as a feather, and I feel something cold press a bit harder, just above my left eye. Did he kiss me? No, it must have been his thumb. "Please, just kill me," I manage to whisper, keeping my eyes shut tight. He sucks in a sharp breath as his hand stills, still touching me softly.

"I'm so sorry sweet girl, but that is the one thing I cannot do. Please, forgive me." I definitely feel his kiss that time as he moves down my neck, and I feel the burn just after his teeth slice through my skin. "I'll be here with you the whole time, and I will explain everything when you wake up."

Once again, I give in to the pain, but this time I know I will be stronger when it's over; then I will get my revenge. No man will ever hurt me again- not the one who broke me, and definitely not the one who bit me. Whatever his motive, he just filled me with independence along with his cool, fiery venom. Time ran out on my human life a long time ago, but now my eternity has finally begun.


	2. Day of Reckoning

**_AN: Don't get used to this, I just thought you needed the next chapter to really get into the story. I actually meant to post both today (July 4th and all) but I got ahead of myself yesterday. I'm so excited by the response to just the prologue alone! Thanks for all the reviews, favs and follows!_**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 2- Day of Reckoning_**

_"Let freedom ring, let the white dove sing  
Let the whole world know that today  
Is a day of reckoning."  
-Martina McBride, Independence Day_

**Garrett POV  
**I was sitting on the front porch of my isolated cabin in Montana, trying to figure out what to do- so bored I was starting to count the leaves around me, and with my vampire sight I could see a lot of trees. I was up to 12,367,495 when my phone rang. That stupid little device still manages to scare the shit out of me every fucking time. There was only one person who called me, the same fucker who bought me the damn thing and showed me how to use it.

"Hey, Pete. What's up."

_Hey, Gar. You need to head west. Get your ass to Carlisle's house in Forks as fast as you can. You need to watch out for the dogs but you know how to get around them. Let me know when you get there._

And, he's gone. That man drives me crazy with his stupid "feelings" he gets. He is so cocky because he just "knows shit." Whatever. Well, he may be irritating but he's also usually right, so I guess I'll head out. I pull my boots on and set off toward Washington. I don't know why I would go there unless Carlisle was in some kind of trouble or something, but I haven't seen my old friend in several years so I guess it was time for a visit anyway.

I really hope his "kids" aren't there. I'm a pretty social guy, but they keep way too many vampires in one house for my taste. I'm not sure which one is more irritating, the stuck up bitch that Emmett is mated to, or the prissy little mind-reading eunuch, Eddie. Maybe I'll get lucky and it will just be Esme and Carlisle at home. Esme is a sweet woman, someone I love to joke around with. We were always playing pranks on Carlisle, trying to get him to lighten up and act his real age, instead of his pretend human age.

Well, it's not like I have a schedule to keep. My life consists of hunting and sitting around. Fighting when I get a good challenge, or visiting with my friends when they stop by. Maybe there will be something in Forks to keep me occupied for a while.

~*ID*~

I ran in from the southeast, trying to stay as far from the wolf border as I could. Approaching Carlisle's house from downwind, I was slightly worried when I picked up on the smell of wolves and blood on the property, and no fresh vampire scent at all. I broke through the clearing to find the house abandoned, the weeds were grown up and the shutters were drawn; it was clear that the Cullens weren't living here.

I started to pull my phone out to call Peter when I picked up on a faint heartbeat inside the house. What was a human doing here? I slowly approached the half-open front door, that smelled heavily of werewolf and human blood. There was only one heartbeat and the wolf smell was fresh, but not concentrated, so I knew it was gone now.

Slipping silently through the door, I stopped still at the sight that met me. On Esme's pristine white couch was a fallen angel. The smell of her blood drew me to her side instantly, but it didn't ignite my thirst, and not because it was tinged with the stink of werewolf either. Looking her over, I briefly wished for the human ability to vomit, and my temper flared to levels higher than it had since I left the wars.

Her frail little body was broken beyond repair. She was bruised, crushed, and ripped to shreds so that she was barely recognizable as a human. Someone, a wolf by the smell of it, had attempted to bandage her torso with strips of material that seemed to be keeping the last of her blood in her body. Her hair was dull and matted with dried blood, but it was fanned out behind her as if someone had placed her here with the utmost care.

My hand was drawn to her battered face like a moth to a flame. I brushed her hair back from her forehead, smearing her blood in the process, and was shocked when her eyes opened. I felt my dead heart stutter in time with hers when I looked into the deep chocolate of her weary, yet innocent, eyes. This was why Peter sent me here. This was my mate.

"Fuck, little one. What the hell happened to you? Does Carlisle know you're here?" Her eyes tightened with pain, leading me to believe that she did know my old friend, but then she closed them, hiding her soul from me. I couldn't resist brushing a kiss to her forehead, and as I did I realized a wolf had done the same thing, not too long ago. It was the same wolf I smelled at the house, but a different one from the scent that rose from her injuries. One wolf had hurt her, while another brought her here.

My venom froze when I heard her soft voice whisper, "Please, just kill me." I couldn't move a muscle and I couldn't pull my hand away from my extremely fragile mate. I knew what I had to do, and I hated to be the cause of even more pain, but there was no way I could let her go after finding her like this. She was going home with me, and I would love her for the rest of eternity. After we tracked down and exterminated a wolf pack, that is.

"I'm so sorry sweet girl, but that is the one thing I cannot do. Please, forgive me." I leaned over and pressed a kiss to the blood-soaked skin of her neck before I bit down, pushing as much venom in as I could. I sat up, licking her blood from my lips, and watched her face twist with the pain of the change. "I'll be here with you the whole time, and I will explain everything when you wake up."

Her heart was picking up in speed and strength, so my venom was doing its job already. Her injuries would heal and her scars would fade, but I wasn't sure about her memories. Emmett's girl held on to her painful death, seeking revenge as soon as she awoke. Others retained nothing of their human lives, aside from their final few moments or bits and pieces of earlier memories. She might not even remember her name. Oh shit, I don't even know her name!

Right on cue, my phone rang again. _She's gifted, and she'll remember everything. She also knows what she is becoming- she is familiar with vampires. You need to move her to your house as soon as she is stable, so the wolves don't find you there. Char and I will come up and meet you. And whatever you do, don't contact Carlisle. Wait until she wakes up._

"Thanks, Pete. Did you know my mate was here?"

_Yeah, I did. She's a firecracker, Gar. You're gonna have your hands full!_

"But she'll be ok, right? She's not too far gone?"

_No, Garrett. She'll be perfect. Just get her cleaned up and head home with her. I can't wait to meet my new little sister and Char is bouncing off the walls already. We'll see ya in Montana._

As he hung up, I turned back to my mate to see the progress of her change. Her bruises were lightening and I could no longer smell blood leaving her body. I pulled back the edge of one of the bandages, shocked to see the deep gashes that marred her tender flesh. They had begun to close, clotting as they healed rapidly, but she was still too fragile to move yet.

I sat on the floor beside her head and ran my fingers gently through her dirty hair. As soon as her skin was healed more, I would clean her up and run her to my house. I thought back to the day three years ago when Peter told me to buy that house. I had no idea why, I had been a nomad for more than two centuries and never wanted a home of my own. He told me it would be needed, but he wasn't sure when. I guess this is what he was talking about. It was the perfect place to raise a newborn, far enough from civilization that she wouldn't go on a killing spree, or that our fighting would be heard by humans, and close enough to several large cities to satisfy her frequent hunting needs.

Looking at my tortured mate, I knew I wouldn't have any trouble motivating her to spar with me. I wouldn't train her harshly, like the newborns in the army, but I would make damn sure she could hold her own in a fight. My scars would warn off most opponents, but the rest would immediately target her as the weaker link. She had been hurt too much already; I won't leave her as defenseless in my world as she obviously was in this one.

~*ID*~

Too many hours of waiting, and I was getting really restless to move. I checked her wounds again and found her stable enough to be cleaned. I talked through everything I was doing as I lifted her carefully from the couch, grimacing at the bloodstains left behind, and carried her up to the master bathroom. I knew Esme had a garden tub big enough for a lot more than two vampires, and it would suit my purpose well today. I filled it halfway with tepid water; I knew she would be burning with the change so the cooler water would feel good to her.

"Little one? I really hope you're out of it enough not to know what I'm doing, but in case you're not, I just want you to know I feel really badly that I have to do this now. I'm very much a gentleman and I want you to know I would never dream of doing this under different circumstances. But you are covered in blood and you stink of werewolf, so I need to get you cleaned up before I take you home.

"I'm going to undress you now, but all I'm doing is washing you. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable with me, because I am your mate. I hope when you wake up we'll do this again and you will enjoy it more, but for now I'm going to do my best to treat you with respect." Feeling nervous about what I would find, I began to peel away the bandages and remnants of clothing that were stuck to her skin with dried blood.

As each piece of her body was revealed, my temper grew hotter and hotter. Even this far into her change I could still see how badly she had been mistreated. Old scars were crossed with new cuts and bruises. Her bones were broken and healing slowly, even the ones in her face. The worst of the damage was to her torso and legs. There were three parallell marks covering her body from her right shoulder to the top of her left thigh, and another on each arm. It was clear these were made by a large wolf. Had he beaten her as a man and then attacked her as a wolf?

I realized I was shaking with rage when I reached to pick her up. I stopped before I touched her and tried to calm myself so I wouldn't cause her more pain. I quickly shed my clothes, knowing I would need to find new ones for the both of us, and lifted my mate into my arms as I stepped into the tub. The water immediately swirled crimson and I knew we would have to rinse off in the shower too. I began with her hair, soaping it gently and rinsing several times to remove the blood that was caked in it. I carefully washed every inch of her body, but froze when I reached her left arm.

Under the layers of blood and above the uneven broken bones, two scars drew my attention. They were both crescent shaped bite marks, nearly overlapping, aside from the fact that one was larger and therefore didn't line up with the other. The smaller bite I recognized clearly, as my own skin is covered with them. A vampire bit my mate and must have sucked the venom out so she didn't change. The bite felt cooler than her still-warm human skin, though soon it would match it in temperature.

The second bite was larger and looked like an attempt to cover the first bite. This scar was hot to the touch and slightly softer than the vampire bite. Was it possible? Did a wolf bite her in human form? The idea of my mate being marked by two other supernatural creatures made my skin crawl. I knew the vampire bite would probably remain through her change; our venom is the only thing that leaves a permanant scar. The werewolf bite was a different story. I had no idea if it would fade when my venom reached it, but I sincerely hoped it would.

Once I got most of the blood off her, I stood from the tub and walked us over to the shower, heedless of the blood-tinged water droplets covering the white marble floor. I rinsed us off in the shower and carried her to Carlisle's bed to lay her down before I searched out some clothes. Carlisle was a little shorter than me, but I could make do with his things. Esme was quite a bit taller than my mate, but she was the only female whose scent I thought I could handle touching her.

I found clothes that were nothing close to my style, and probably not my mate's either, but they were in good condition and sturdy enough to get us back to Montana. After thinking about it, I grabbed a few extra shirts and pants for my mate in case Peter didn't bring her any clothes. It wouldn't surprise me if the fucker knew her size and favorite items of clothing as well.

While looking for a bag to carry the extra clothes in, I found a framed picture up on the top shelf, and pulled it down. I had to sit on the floor when I recognized my much healthier mate, although she did have a broken leg, standing with the Cullens at the foot of their staircase. I pulled the picture out, knowing Esme's habit of writing on the back of photos, regardless of our perfect vampire memory. "Bella and Edward's Junior Prom" was listed at the top, along with the date of barely three years ago. The rest of the family was listed by name and I realized I had my answer. Bella. Her name was Bella. Of course, I had more questions as well. What was my human mate doing with a family of vampires? Why was she standing with that prick, Edward? Why was she here and the Cullens gone?

I don't like the Volturi, but I do agree with the idea that we need to keep our existence a secret from humans. So why would Carlisle break their highest law, leaving my mate here with the knowledge that could condemn his family to death? I wanted answers, and I hoped Bella could give me some when she woke up. For now, I had to get us both out of here and back to my cabin where she would be safe.

Carrying the picture with me, I searched out a pen in Carlisle's desk drawer and drew a circle around my mate in the photo. On the back, I wrote in large block letters- **MINE.** I licked two of my fingers and smeared my venom on the paper so my scent would be easily identified to those who know me. Picking up my mate, _Bella_, I carried her downstairs and tucked the picture behind the blood-soaked pillows where I found her on the couch. Satisfied that there would be no mistaking who had her and why, I turned and left Forks, finally realizing the weight of what just occurred in that big white house. After centuries on my own, I found the missing piece to my soul. I never really lived before today.

The multi-colored fireworks that heralded our silent escape told me what day it was. The holiday I gave my human life for: Independence Day.

~*ID*~

**Seth POV  
**I finished showing the rest of the pack what Jacob had done this time. He was still balls deep in his trashy imprint, the one the gods supposedly chose to help carry on the Black family line. As if the Black family line deserved to continue after the shit he has pulled.

Sure, we were all caught up in the initial frenzy after Sam was killed by that fucking dreadlock dude, and then Embry went down trying to protect Charlie from the redhead, and Colin, Brady, and Billy were all tortured and drained, but Jake still took things way too far. We all knew he hit Bella, even the mighty alpha couldn't block all his thoughts, but what I saw today was a man without a shred of sanity left. He was trying to kill her in the most painful way possible.

_So is everybody in? _I asked, looking around the small circle of feral, snarling wolves. My brothers may not have been Bella's biggest fans, but she was still Pack, and they would not let her death go unpunished. They all answered in the affirmative, bowing their heads to me as the new alpha. By birthright it should have been my sister, but she was pregnant now and Paul wanted her to try and stop phasing for good. Jared, Paul, Quil, and myself were the last remaining members of our once-mighty pack.

As the fireworks exploded over the open water, his howls and then screams went unheard by the rest of the tribe. Jacob Black was formally introduced to Pack justice.


	3. Word Gets Around

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 3- Word Gets Around_**

_"Well, word gets around in a small, small town  
They said he was a dangerous man"  
-Martina McBride, Independence Day_

**Garrett POV  
**I ran carefully with my mate in my arms. I knew I was causing her pain just by moving her during her change, but I wanted to minimize that as much as I could. So far she hadn't made a sound other than a few pained whines when I was dressing her, but I could see the tension in her newly-healed jaw as she clenched her teeth in pain. I wanted to tell her she didn't have to be brave and to scream all she wanted, but it actually made things easier for both of us if she remained silent on our journey.

Avoiding human population and sticking to remote areas made my travel time much longer than my solo trip to Forks. By the time I made it to my front porch, Bella had less than a day left in her change. Her skin was harder and cool, but not quite vampire-strength yet. Her features had changed dramatically from the girl I saw in the picture, but I'm not sure how much of that was due to her change, or the damage she received at the end of her human life. Either way, she was simply beautiful.

I could tell that no one had been to my cabin since I left, so I relaxed slightly. "Bella, I'm carrying you into our house now. I am the only one who lives here normally, but my friends Peter and Charlotte are coming to stay with us and help you get used to your new life. We all have a little experience dealing with newborns, so don't worry about pissing anyone off. Now, I'm gonna lay you on my bed so you can be comfortable during the rest of your change. I'm sorry I had to move you so much, but we kind of had to make a quick getaway." I laid my mate gently on my bed and started to pull away when her hand clamped down hard on my arm and she let out pleading moan.

My dead heart broke a little more when I realized she was scared to be left alone. The joy that my presence was offering some comfort to her was overshadowed by the pain she was still feeling. "Shh, little one. I'm not going anywhere. I'll stay right here with you, just like I promised. Just relax." I stroked her hair back from her face as I settled down on the bed next to her.

Breathing in her changing scent, I placed a soft kiss on her forehead and covered her hand with mine. It was hard to imagine that after all this time alone, I finally found the one person who would complete me. I talked to her about all the things I wanted to do with her, and all the places I wanted her to see. I explained to her how I was changed, fighting for this nation's independence, and how I traveled the country after the war was over, before finding myself pressed into service by the armies in the South.

I wasn't sure about her human memories, if there was even anything worth remembering, but I decided to let the chips fall where they may. I didn't mention anything about where I found her or whose home she was in. She obviously hadn't seen the Cullens lately, based on the condition of both the house, and my mate. Just thinking about those fucking wolves had my beast clawing at his cage, and only the weak moan from Bella letting me know I was affecting her stopped me from going out to thin the forest a little.

Putting my nose in her hair was the only way to calm myself down again. "I'm sorry little one, I didn't mean to let my temper get away from me." As I spoke, I felt a pang in my gut when I realized that I would really have to watch myself around my mate, especially after she wakes up. She was obviously abused by the last man she was with, and I don't want her to think that would ever be a possibility with me.

~*ID*~

Peter and Charlotte still hadn't arrived yet, and I was about to call Peter to see if he thought they would get here before Bella's change was complete, when I heard their truck in the distance. At least, I was fairly sure it was his truck, and when Peter honked his horn I knew it was them. Can't mistake that loud-ass truck that plays "Dixie." Fucker idolizes his sire too much, he wasn't even born during the War between the States.

Speaking of his sire, I better not find out that Jasper had anything whatsoever to do with my mate's demise. I really thought he would know better than to leave a human with knowledge of our world. He's been hiding from the Volturi since he left the South, and he really can't afford any more black marks against him in their eyes. His gift may be powerful, but he's gonna need more than that to avoid my wrath if he harmed my mate in any way.

We laid there together until I heard Peter's truck pull in the driveway, then I just angled my body more to keep my view of the doorway unhindered, while still blocking my mate from sight. They approached the house slowly, knowing I would be extra protective now. I still couldn't stop my growl when Peter opened the door, even though he was looking at the floor and had his hands out submissively.

"Easy, Gar. You know we won't hurt Sugar. Can Char come in, or do you need a minute?" Peter's voice was softer and more serious than I had ever heard before. At least he understood what it feels like to be mated, and what I could and couldn't tolerate at the moment. I didn't even understand it myself yet, I just knew my instincts were screaming at me to defend my mate from Peter's obviously dangerous appearance.

His scars had never bothered me before, but now it was almost like they glowed dangerously, a clear warning and challenge. A low growl rumbled continuously, deep in my chest, and I had moved instantly to a defensive crouch in front of my mate. Peter stepped inside the door and bared his neck to me just as Bella let out a loud wail that immediately snapped me back to my senses.

I flew to Bella's side, running one hand over her hair to soothe her as I held her tightly clenched fist in the other. "Shh, sweet girl. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to upset you. Everything's ok, my friend Peter is here now, and his mate, Charlotte. If I can calm myself down he might even let her come in here to sit with you." I glanced up at Peter's familiar grin, relieved to see he didn't seem to hold my actions against me.

"Welcome to mated life, my friend," he laughed. "Now are you gonna be nice to Char or does she need to wait outside?" It was almost disorienting to me, having to deal with these new mating instincts. I had been a vampire for a very long time, and I was extremely comfortable with both my body and my mind. I had mastered control of every instinct to become a fairly likeable guy, easygoing, and I didn't let too much ruffle my feathers. Now that my whole world suddenly revolved around the tiny girl on the bed, I didn't know which way was up and which was down.

Focusing on Bella's scent, I thought about Charlotte. My mind knew she was not a threat, she was a female, smaller than me, and not a rival for my mate's affections. But she did have scars, though not as many as Peter and I, and I wasn't sure I wouldn't overreact to her as well. Sighing, I looked at Peter. "Let's try, but keep her behind you at first, I really don't want to hurt her, ok?"

He nodded, and pulled Char through the door, shielding her with his body. I looked at her, relieved not to feel the need to attack my tiny friend. She was wearing collared shirt with long sleeves and jeans, so most of her scars were hidden from view. Relaxing finally, I smiled at my friends, "Thanks for coming. I obviously have no idea what I'm doing so I guess I'll need some help."

Charlotte gave me a sweet smile as Peter laughed, "I knew we needed to be here, but I thought it was for Sugar there. I know she's gonna need us, but I guess you will too. I told you she's gonna be a handful."

Thinking back to when he said that, I remembered the pitiful state I found my mate in. "Um, guys, I need to talk to you about something before she wakes up. I'm not sure what kind of state she's going to be in, she wasn't turned under the best circumstances." They looked at me in concern, but didn't interrupt so I wasn't sure how much of this Peter already "knew."

"I found her at the Cullen house, but they weren't living there, hadn't been there in a couple of years at least. She was barely alive when I got there, she had been beaten and attacked by a werewolf, or shapeshifter, or whatever the hell those things are that Carlisle made a treaty with." I had to stop and choke down my growl as I went on to tell them about her injuries and how she had been attacked by one wolf, and brought to the house by another. "The way she was laid out there on that white couch was almost like a message to the Cullens. I don't know why she was left there, or why she knew them at all, but she did. I found a picture of her with the whole family, and she was standing with that pussy, Edward."

Peter sucked in a sharp breath and his eyes turned dark almost instantly. I could hear a low growl, but he was trying to control it for my sake. "No! This is who that is? Oh my god, I had no idea. Why did I not _know_ this? I could have stopped it!" He was pacing, making me nervous again, until Charlotte stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. He turned and buried his face in her neck, and I saw him shudder as he let out a sob.

I had no idea what to do, I had never seen Peter like this. He was always carefree, joking constantly, just a fun guy to be around. "What are you talking about, Pete? What could you have stopped?"

He pulled back from Charlotte and looked at me with such a hurt look on his face. "Gar? Can I? Um, can I come see her? I won't touch her, I just need to be closer. I need to tell you both something." I thought about it, and my curiosity was overshadowing my protectiveness; I could see he cared for my mate, and somehow felt responsible for her.

Nodding, I motioned him closer, still keeping myself between him and Bella. Charlotte stayed by the door until I waved her over as well. Peter approached slowly, finally kneeling beside the bed. He glanced up at Bella's tense body, reaching for her slightly, before dropping his hand and head in defeat. "Garrett, you have to know that I never made the connection before now. I honestly didn't. You know I don't get all the information from my shitty non-gift. But I probably should have been able to see this."

He wasn't making any sense, I had never seen Peter this flustered and unsure before. He was the ulitimate know-it-all. "Peter, what are you trying to say? I don't understand."

"Look, you remember when I told you to buy this house?" I nodded and he continued, "I didn't know why, it was just something I knew. At the same time, I knew I needed to go see my brother. I thought they were completely unrelated, never thought there could be more to it than that. Well, when I got to Forks, Jasper was wound up tight, leaking his gift all over the place, and it took me almost a week to calm him down and keep his demon at bay. Figured that was why I was needed.

"Anyway, he never told me why he was so agitated, and every time I tried to press the other Cullens, the pixie and the pretty boy were alway getting in the way. It wasn't until later on that year that Jasper showed up at my house, absolutely broken. He wouldn't leave his room for almost a month, and I finally had to pick a fight with him to bring him out of his funk." Peter's face was full of regret as he told of his sire's decline.

"He told me about a human girl that Edward had become obsessed with, one that didn't see them all as monsters. She accepted them and loved them, even Jasper. He said he didn't get to spend much time with her because Alice and Edward claimed he was a danger to her, even though she was Edward's singer." I had to gasp at that- how could Edward tolerate being around his singer? I had met one of my own and didn't even realize I was drinking until she was dead!

Peter shook his head at my expression. "I know, it's crazy. But, it's the Cullens. Anyway, Jasper didn't approve at first, he wanted the girl turned or killed- sorry Garrett- but he slowly came around and struck up a friendship with her. He said something about spending a week with her when some nomads attacked her, and how smart and caring she was. He said she was bitten by the nomad and Jasper was about to bite her again to put more venom in when Edward ripped him off her and sucked the venom out that was already there. He was adamant about not wanting her changed."

I absently rubbed my finger against the scar on Bella's wrist. That explained one bite mark. The other bite was no longer raised or warm, but the discoloration was still there even though her change was almost complete. "Ok, so obviously this was my mate he was talking about. What happened after that?"

Peter sighed and looked down, "Jasper said everything was fine, Edward's emotions weren't completely right but Bella seemed happy so he didn't interfere too much. He really loved her like a sister, and said she loved him as well. Then her 18th birthday came along. Alice planned a party that Bella wanted nothing to do with. Jasper took her side, but you know the rest of them sided with Edward and Alice as usual. Jasper said he hadn't hunted in several days, but his thirst was manageable, until Bella sliced her finger on some wrapping paper. I think Edward's bloodlust sent Jasper over the edge and he lunged for her, but Jasper took all the blame on himself, and the Cullens were only too happy to oblige him."

I was shaking in fury, how could Carlisle have let all this happen? Why would he let Edward keep my mate as a fucking house pet? And Jasper? Trying to kill her? It was all too much.

"Garrett, just hang in there a minute so I can finish the story. I don't think we'll have time once she's awake." I nodded for him to continue. "Jasper said that he went with the Cullens to Alaska, but the day that Edward came up there to join them, Alice had a vision and said the girl was dead. She saw her go into the woods with Edward, try to follow him when he left, she laid down in the cold leaves, and then her future disappeared.

"Jasper said the emotions in the Cullen house were too much for him to live with, so he came to stay with us. He was completely torn up over the girl's death, the death he blamed himself for. Once I finally snapped him out of his stupor, he stayed with us for another couple of days, went hunting with us, but wasn't completely back to normal. One day he told us he was going for a walk. He never came back."

Peter hadn't seen Jasper in over two years? "So what, you don't know where he is? Is that what you're trying to tell me?"

"No, Garrett. That's not what I said. I said he never came back. I _know_ where he is. He went back to Maria." He dropped his head and Charlotte rubbed his neck in comfort. I knew what it took for him to go back for Jasper all those years ago, and it must have been hard for him to accept the fact that his brother threw all that away and went right back to the snake's den.

I didn't get a chance to respond, because at that exact moment Bella let out a blood-curdling scream and arched off the bed. We backed away and spread out in the room as her heart raced, then stuttered, before giving one final beat. I waited with anticipation for her eyes to open, to get my first look at my changed mate.

She took a breath, then flipped over faster than lightning to a defensive crouch on the bed. Her eyes were pitch black and narrowed as she growled at us. "Bella? Do you remember me?" I finally ventured to ask her.

Her glare was locked on me, teeth bared, venom dripping; she looked positively feral. She glanced around the room once more before letting out a roar, flipping over me, using my shoulders as leverage, and bolted out the door.

I sat there, stunned, until Peter busted out laughing. "Congrats, Gar. It's a demon!" What the fuck just happened?

~*ID*~

**Alice POV  
**I knew he could smell my fear, but I wouldn't give him the satisfaction of reacting to his presence. He glared down at me before growling, "What did you see?"

How he managed to sneak up on two gifted vampires is beyond me, but it was extremely inconvenient when he overheard that particular conversation. I matched him glare for glare before giving in, grudgingly. "She's awake."


	4. Weak be Strong

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 4- Weak be Strong_**

_"Let the weak be strong, let the right be wrong  
__Roll the stone away, let the guilty pay  
__it's Independence Day"_

_-Martina McBride, Independence Day _

**Bella POV  
**As soon as the pain let up and I had control of my body again, I knew I had to get out of there. The vampire who bit me hadn't left my side once, and I had figured out he thought he had some kind of claim on me. Well, he was in for a shock when I woke up. I didn't sit through hell for three days just to turn around and have another man think he owns me. I've had enough of that to last me an eternity.

First was Edward. His ownership was more subtle- "Wear this shirt, Bella. Don't speak to those people, Bella. Eat this, do this, say this, blah, blah, blah. I slowly handed over my control piece by piece until I had nothing left. Then, he left me. Or, he left the empty shell that looked like me. By that point I was completely dependent on him and his family, and I just fell apart when they left. My mind is a sieve, yeah right. Not even the burn of the venom could erase my pain-filled memories.

Next was Sam. My hero, my brother, my savior. He picked me up from the forest floor, saving me from hypothermia and the resulting insanity of the Cullens' abrupt desertion. He took me into his home, his family, and took care of me. He owned me, but not necessarily in a bad way. He had more of a paternal ownership, protective instead of possessive. That protectiveness would eventually be his undoing, but I really did love Sammy for the short time that I had him.

Living with Sam led me to Jacob. My sunshine. My sweet human boy that turned into a hate-filled monster overnight. He slowly turned my pack against me, even my sister, Emily. Of course, seeing Sam torn to shreds in the woods wasn't exactly good for team morale. I was just an easy, if slightly inadequate, target for their anger. Jake was the distributor of my judgement. Took him two years, but he finally managed to kill me.

Well, I say that, but Mr. Bitey had to come along and stake his claim on the tasty human. Kind of hard to blame him, I'm sure I closely resembled hamburger meat when he found me. Or sliced beef. Rare of course. Hard to resist.

I stubbornly held in my screams throughout my change, but damn if that last bit wasn't the worst. It felt like hot lava was pouring directly into my heart, and my body jerked up violently against the searing heat. I let out one scream full of rage and agony, before basking in the few seconds of peace as the fire suddenly left me. Reflexively, I took a deep cleansing breath. Big mistake.

My new vampire senses were sending me thousands of signals, from the scents surrounding me, to the other vampires I could sense in the room. Instantly, I was on my feet, ready to take on any and all adversaries. These vampires were nothing like the Cullens. They were red-eyed, which I found strangely comforting, but I didn't let myself dwell on that fact too long. The scars littering their bodies and necks, even their faces, were screaming at me to run.

I growled a warning to keep them back, as the venom built up in my mouth. I really needed to hunt.

The tallest vampire caught my attention when he spoke, and I was furious when my nose identified him as my sire. I had an innate desire to submit to him, a desire I would be fighting with my very last breath. He just stood there looking all tall and fucking gorgeous of course, but he was a vampire so what else could I expect. He somehow managed to look almost harmless, despite his height and multitude of scars that marked him as dangerous.

Fighting my instincts caused a pain to flare in my chest and I roared out my anger at the sheer injustice of the whole situation. Using the moment of confusion my actions caused, I flipped over the big guy and bolted out the door. I had no idea where I was, but I knew he carried me a long way from Forks. Eventually I would have to find my way back there, but first I needed to lose my keepers and find something to eat. Or drink. Whatever the hell I do now.

The house appeared to be surrounded by trees and I couldn't hear any sign of human life, even with my enhanced senses. Using my superior newborn speed, I set out in wide, looping circles to try and confuse the vampires following me, but the tall one seemed to be drawn to me like a fucking magnet. I scaled a tree and hopped over several others to perch out of sight, and hopefully out of smell range as well.

The three vampires ran right under me, then split off in different directions. I waited a few minutes to make sure the coast was clear, before leaping across a few more trees and hitting the ground silently. As soon as my feet made contact with the dirt, I was tackled from behind and held under a large, familiar-smelling body.

I struggled against his weight, but he had me wrapped tight in his arms and as soon as I realized I was truly pinned, I freaked the fuck out. Snarling at him to get off me, I managed to dislodge his arm enough that I could latch my teeth onto it. I immediately noticed that his venom tasted really good as I locked my teeth into his tough vampire skin. I started sucking it down and realized it eased the burn in my throat, enough that I could focus on something other than hunting.

"FUCK! Little one, let go! That hurts like hell!" His voice took me back to the first time I heard it, it was so soothing, deep and slightly husky, and I caught myself wondering if he liked to sing. My distraction was enough for him to pull his arm free and flip me over to face him instead of the dirt. He was breathing hard, even though I knew he didn't need to, and I found myself inhaling his sweet breath as it washed over my face. His eyes kept me hypnotised, and I had to fight hard to remember why exactly I didn't want anything to do with him.

All it took was one shift of his hips and I was instantly on guard again. His erection brushed against my thigh, reminding me precisely what happened the last time a man bit me. I was getting out of here one way or another.

Narrowing my gaze against his strangely innocent-looking warm red eyes, I bared my teeth and spoke my first words as a vampire, "Get the hell off me, you sick bastard!" He recoiled as if I had slapped him, and I twisted out of his grip, off and running as soon as my feet hit the ground. Ignoring the pulsing pain in my chest, I headed in what I hoped was the direction of civilization, and something warm to drink.

~*ID*~

**Garrett POV  
**"I told you she was a firecracker, Gar. Smart little cookie, too," Peter finally broke the silence left in the wake of my disappearing mate. I didn't even respond as I took up running again, following the now-tender ache in my chest in case she tried to lose us again with her scent. She definitely was smart, and more rational than I originally gave her credit for. She wasn't completely feral, she was simply pissed off.

What I couldn't wrap my mind around was the fact that she was pissed off at _me._ I mean, I saved her life, I changed her and brought her away from the wolves that hurt her. I gave her as much peace as I could while she was changing, and she woke up absolutely furious with me. I had no idea what I did to deserve her hatred.

"Garrett?" Charlotte spoke softly as she ran beside me, "I think I know what Sugar is feeling right now."

I looked at her in question, but didn't slow my pursuit. I was worried now that Bella seemed to be heading in the general direction of the nearest town. If she caught the scent of humans, we could be cleaning up a massacre of epic proportions. There were very few things more destructive than a pissed off newborn vampire.

"She can feel the pull to you, and she isn't happy about that. She's trying to resist, and that is causing her pain," Char explained.

"What about the biting? She was trying to drain me like a fucking human!" I had never had another vampire try to drink from me, and I'd had plenty of them bite me before. I didn't want to admit it, but I was worried there might be something wrong with my little mate.

Peter surprised me by laughing loudly. "Oh, that. Yeah, your mate's venom tastes really good. It's sweet, not bitter like other vampires. Just a perk of being mated. Makes for some fun times during sex, too."

Charlotte nudged me with her elbow and shot Peter a look. I had a feeling she was about to mess with the fucker. "Yeah, and I bet you taste extra good to Bella too- a sire's venom is almost as sweet as a mate's."

Peter growled and started muttering something about Char sucking on Jasper too much, and needing to put a stop to that shit. She just laughed, "Peter, you know you're just jealous 'cause he wouldn't let you have a taste very often." She looked at me with a conspirational wink, "Jasper always ripped Pete's arm off whenever he'd get his teeth in him. Only let him have a little when he needed him healed fast- it's good for that too, you know."

I stopped in my tracks, stunned speechless. I thought I knew everything there was to know about vampirism, but my entire world had been turned upside down in the past few hours alone. I knew I was a novice when it came to mating, only having observed others over the past two centuries. I had also never sired anyone, and I killed my own sire just days after I woke as a vampire, so I didn't have any personal experience with this situation either.

I looked at Peter, who was still pouting at his mate, and finally found my voice. "Thanks for coming to help me, guys. I honestly don't know what I would have done without you. Or I guess I wouldn't even have my mate if it wasn't for you, Pete." Even if we weren't off to the best start, I still couldn't imagine life without my little firecracker. "Now, let's go catch my mate before she brings the Volturi down on our heads."

We tracked Bella to a clearing about halfway between my house and the outskirts of town. Her newborn mind finally caught up with her and she was distracted by the sunlight on her skin. Seeing her sparkling there literally took my breath away, she was absolutely gorgeous. Her long mahogany hair swirled down to her waist, and even the leaves and twigs in it couldn't take away from its beauty. Her pale skin glittered in the sunlight and her bright crimson eyes pulled me in like a beacon of light. She was a far cry from the pitifully broken girl I found just a few days ago, and I couldn't believe this little angel/demon was mine. Even if she didn't seem to realize it yet.

Charlotte put her hand on my arm and held me back from approaching Bella. "Let me try first, Gar. She might do better with me."

Peter and I both growled, and I then turned to growl at Peter. We were locked in a standoff until Charlotte grabbed us each by the ear. Ow, that really hurts. "Look, we don't have time for a pissing contest. Yes, Garrett, she's your mate. And we all know how well that is working out for you. Yes, Peter, you know shit. All hail Yoda. But let's face it, the girl is a bit gun-shy around those of the male gender. Not to mention I'm the only one who was intelligent enough to cover my scars around the newborn. Just let me see if she'll give me a chance."

"You're not gonna leave me alone are you?" Pete and I both jumped a foot in the air when my mate's voice came from over Char's shoulder, where she was standing with her hands on her hips. How in the hell did she sneak up on us? "Look, if Blondie wants to take me hunting, that's fine with me. But after that, I'm outta here."

Char gave us each a glare and walked over to Bella. "Hi Bella, I'm Charlotte. This is my mate, Peter, and I believe you already met Garrett?"

Bella sneered in my direction, completely ignoring Peter. "Well, if by an introduction you mean his teeth met my neck, then yeah, we're old friends." Cutting her eyes back to Charlotte without ever taking her attention off Pete and I, she continued speaking, "So, it's been nice chatting and all, but I'm kinda thirsty now. Newborn, remember?"

I staggered under the strength of her contempt, and Peter caught my arm to keep me upright. How could someone I already loved so much, hate me? Pete leaned close to my ear so we wouldn't be overheard, "Let's just get her fed, and we'll go from there. She can't push you away forever, she'll only hurt herself more."

I could only nod mechanically in response, and we followed at a safe distance behind Charlotte and Bella. I knew Peter was worried about his mate, but I knew Char could take care of herself. I just didn't know what my response would be if she had to defend herself against my mate. Despite Bella's obvious distrust, I still wanted nothing more than to protect her and provide for her.

The past few days I had fantasized about her first hunt. I would find a pair of suitable humans and offer them to my mate as a sumptuous buffet. After drinking her fill, she would turn to me for her other needs, the ones only I could soothe. Feeding and fucking normally went hand in hand for vampires, but I had a feeling my mate would go the other direction. Feeding and fighting seemed to be her highest priorities, based on her reaction to my earlier arousal.

~*ID*~

We ran into town just as night was falling, the perfect time for hunting. Bella was following Char's every move, watching and learning the way I wanted her to watch and learn from me. Pete put his hand on my shoulder as if he had turned into an empath and suddenly knew what I was feeling. "I do know what you're feeling. Char didn't want nothing to do with me when Jasper turned her. She followed him around like a fuckin puppy dog. Believe me, I understand, Gar."

I stopped short and looked at him in shock. He never spoke much in detail about his time in the wars, it wasn't something that needed saying between us soldiers. I knew the basics, that Jasper sired both of them, and let them escape when Charlotte's year was up. Peter went back for him a few years later, feeling that he owed Jasper a debt and wanting him to experience life in the north. They traveled together until Alice showed up sometime in the '50's. That's actually how I met Peter, through his connection to Jasper and the Cullens.

We bonded instantly, understanding one another and making a name for ourselves as the red-eyed jokers of the group. The Cullens as a whole despised the both of us, but Jasper and Carlisle stood up for us and we were always welcome to visit the family. I only showed up every 5-10 years or so, but I think Peter and Charlotte tried to see Jasper at least once a year, whether he came to them or they came to him. Alice hated Peter and the things he just _knows_, mainly how he _knew_ she wasn't his mate, even if Jasper never would accept it.

Before I bought my house, I had a room set aside for me at Peter and Char's place, and I stopped in there every time I was nearby. They were the closest thing I had to a home and a family. Until I found my mate, that is.

Loud snarls brought my attention back to said mate and I found her staring down Charlotte as she approached with a large human male in her grasp. Char must have knocked him unconscious, but Bella was about two seconds away from challenging her for the meal. "Char, set him down and move back, sweetie. I don't want her to defend her kill from you. Ok?" I kept my voice low and my stance non-threatening, and Char nodded minutely in my direction before setting down the human and stepping slowly to the side.

Bella looked between Char and Pete and I, before leaping on top of her meal and biting in with a fierce growl. She was rough and feral, as a typical newborn, and she nearly ripped the guy's head clean off. Her mouth couldn't keep up with the blood gushing from his destroyed neck, and she roared in frustration when her kill ran dry.

"Little one? You want me to get you another?" I took a chance on speaking to my mate while she was still extremely thirsty. Her black eyes locked on me instantly, and I didn't even have a chance to register her movement before she was perched on my back with her teeth in my throat.

Her bite was much cleaner in my hard skin, rather than the human's, but she began sucking down big mouthfuls of my venom and I felt my legs start to weaken. Peter and Charlotte approached warily just as Bella changed tactics and began pumping her own venom into the open bite on my neck. It burned, but also filled me with a strong sense of desire and a feeling of completeness that was like nothing I had ever felt before.

I realized what was happening just as she detached her teeth and leapt over Peter to take off running into the night. My legs gave out and I sank heavily to the ground as Peter gave voice to my realization. "Well, you're making progress, Gar. At least she marked you!"


	5. Let Freedom Ring

_**AN: Ok, this is not my favorite chapter, but I have been messing with it for over a month now and it's driving me insane. So I'll just go ahead and post it so we can move on to the better stuff ahead. And I forgot to add in the last chapter, venom and its various uses and applications will be playing a relatively important part in this story. So if it seems like I'm talking about a lot, I have my reasons.**_

* * *

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 5- Let Freedom Ring_**

**Bella POV  
**I didn't know where I was running to now, but at least the fire in my throat was calmed enough that I could think. I had no idea why that tall guy tasted so damn good, but I would drain him in a heartbeat, if I still had one. The human blood was hot, salty/sweet, and slightly musky. Tall guy's venom was pure sugar, cool like a daiquiri, with a touch of smooth bourbon. Mmmm. I could live on that taste for eternity. Too bad he thought he owned me.

Damn it, now my chest was hurting. What the hell? I thought vampires couldn't feel pain? The further I ran from the city, the tighter my chest felt, until I had to fall to my knees and stop running. Did drinking venom cause heart attacks? Nobody ever talked about that with the Cullens, maybe it wasn't something I was supposed to do. Of course, it was something I did purely out of instinct, so it might also be something that uncivilized vampires do. If that's the case, then I'm all for it.

I had no intention of following my former vampire family into a life of munching bunnies and repeating high school. I planned on finding my way home to La Push, killing Jacob, and anyone else who got in my way, and running off into the sunset. Or sunrise, since I'd be on the west coast already. The blonde chick had given me some pretty good hunting tips, so I knew I wouldn't starve along the way, and unless I ran across any more super-scarred freaks, I was pretty sure I could defend myself ok against other vamps.

But this fucking heart attack was seriously interfering with my plans. I managed to pull myself up again, but I only made it a few more feet before I collapsed on the ground in a curled-up ball of pain. Now, I consider myself somewhat of an expert when it comes to pain. I was a werewolf's punching bag for more than two years, after all. I'm pretty sure I managed to hold in most of my screams during my change as well. But this pain in my chest was like nothing I had felt before. It was almost like I was ripping out my own heart, and I couldn't hold back a moan through my tightly clenched teeth.

Just then, I heard the movement of a vampire nearby. Well, so much for being able to defend myself. I only relaxed slightly when the scent reached me and I realized it was the blonde girl from before. "Bella? Sugar, you ok?" she asked as she approached me slowly, probably trying not to look like a threat.

I didn't care at that point. She could have been coming to kill me and it would have been a relief. I cracked my eyes open to see her reach toward me like she was going to pick me up. "Sugar? I'm gonna carry you back now if that's ok, I think you'll feel better if you're closer to Garrett."

What the actual fuck? How the hell does my pain have anything to do with that guy? I started to panic as I realized he must have some sort of gift that causes pain, and he's using it to keep me close to him. I would never be able to escape him; why couldn't I be immune to him like I was to Edward?

The girl started laughing and as she spoke I realized I must have said my last thoughts out loud. "Oh honey, he don't have no gift like that! That's just the matin' pull you're feeling! I know the first time I had to leave Peter, I thought I was gonna die. Lucky we ain't had to be apart too much over the years, and it gets a little easier once you're bonded fully too. 'Course, you already marked Garrett so he's prob'ly hurting a hell of a lot worse than you are right now. Might be a good idea to get back to him, before Pete brings him back this way."

I tried to process what she was telling me as she lifted me easily from the ground and started off at a brisk jog in the direction we just came from. Mating pull? Mates? She's saying I'm hurting because that prick thinks I'm his mate?! "Great, so just because some idiot vamp decided to turn me instead of killing me, I can't be away from him? That just sucks balls."

She looked down at me in confusion, slowing her run to a stop. "No, Sugar, you've got it all wrong. He ain't your mate 'cause he turned you- he turned you 'cause he was your mate. He couldn't just let you die once he found you. He's been alone for way too long, and he cares for you deeply already. I really hope you will give him a chance."

She didn't wait for me to answer, just continued running as the pain in my chest got slightly easier to bear. She gave me a lot to think about; maybe I had the wrong idea about Garrett, but that didn't mean I was letting my guard down anytime soon. Even if he didn't force this on me, we were still linked more closely than I liked.

As my pain eased dramatically, I realized we must be getting close to the other vampires, and I wanted to ask her something before we did. "Wait! Stop for a second!" I spoke up, almost frantically.

I almost fell on the ground when she stopped suddenly, but she kept a tight grip on me before lowering me to my feet to see if I could hold myself up. I knew my question was going to be a bit personal, so I decided to ease my way in by calling her by her name. "Hey, Charlotte?"

She seemed startled, but answered with a huge smile on her face, "Yeah, Sugar?"

"Um, can I ask you something?" I waited for her nod as I tried to work up the nerve to ask. "You know how I bit him? Um, Garrett? Is that- I mean- did I... Look, I'm just not sure why I did it, and why he tastes so damn good, and does that mean I'm some kind of freak or something?"

I had to give her credit, she kept a straight face through my half-stuttered questioning and appeared to be giving my concerns some serious consideration. "Well, I can explain it a bit. You were thirsty, and part of the job for a mate, and a sire as well, is to provide nourishment. His venom is designed to meet those needs for you, but it's usually only used in a pinch, when you can't hunt for some reason. I've fed from my sire, and from Peter as well, and I agree that they both taste delicious. Better than blood even. I'm sure with Garrett being both your mate _and_ your sire, he probably takes the cake on that."

I felt a surge of relief that I was still relatively normal, for a vampire anyway. She shook her head at me though as she continued to speak. "You need to be careful though, Sugar. He got a little weak there after that last time, when you marked him, and I'm sure Pete had to go hunt for him before he could even walk. You don't want to leave him vulnerable like that when you're alone, ok?"

The wheels were turning in my mind as I processed her words. Maybe I couldn't be too far away from my "mate," but that didn't mean he would have to be in control either. I could make sure he was at my mercy, and not the other way around.

~*ID*~

**Garrett POV  
**Peter left me in the shadows while he went to find me something to drink. I felt powerless, almost human, for the first time since the wars. The venom loss was comparable to having a limb or two torn off, but I was also light-headed, practically dizzy, and that was something I had never experienced before. The further Bella ran, the more my chest ached and burned, until I could do nothing but curl up into a tight ball of pain. A tremor of fear ran through me when I realized just how vulnerable I truly was.

The city seemed darker, more menacing, and I tried in vain to make my useless body stand up and walk away from the imagined dangers surrounding me. When Peter walked up and put his hand on my shoulder, I actually whimpered. "Hey, Gar. It's ok. It's just me, and I brought you something to build your strength back, ok? Can you sit up a little and drink for me?"

I tried to raise myself to a sitting position, but the pain in my chest was making it difficult to move at all, I could only curl tightly around my knees and moan in pain. Peter sighed and moved to pull me up, prying my face up enough to place the human near my mouth so I could feed. My instincts kicked in enough to latch on when he sliced the artery with his fingernail and I caught a whiff of the fresh blood.

The more blood I swallowed, the stronger my body felt. But feeding also caused the pain in my heart to increase in strength, to the point that Peter had to hold my arms down to stop me from trying to claw the offending organ straight out of my chest. He struggled with me for several minutes before releasing me long enough to throw the body in a dumpster with Bella's kill and light them on fire, then he picked me up over his shoulder and said, "Fuck this," as he took off running out of town.

I tried to keep my panic in check as we ran silently through the evening light. I couldn't stop thinking about how much Bella had changed me. Before, I would have never let a newborn vampire run all over me like that. When I was in the south, I was one of the newborn handlers. I kept them in line, trained them to fight, and generally kept order. My height and superior fighting ability gave me an advantage over even the strongest baby vampires.

Thinking about it, I realized there was a reason that bonded mates were such a rare thing. The only ones I was aware of were Aro and his mate, and Carlisle and Esme. Most vampires found their mates after they were changed, or in some cases, they had their coven leader change a human for them. I was discovering that it was much too difficult to be both a mate and a sire, especially given mine and Bella's situation.

My mate was a force to be reckoned with. The abuse she suffered only served to make her stronger, and more determined to be independent. I was handling her carefully, not wanting to trigger her memories or do something to turn her against me. But in order to successfully tame a newborn, control was key. She needed to learn that she was not the one in charge around here. She needed to admit that there were things she didn't know or understand, and things she would need to depend on me for.

As for me, I knew I had to step back and try to distance myself from the situation a little. I had jumped into mating with both feet, having no understanding of what it really entailed. I knew in my head that it wouldn't be easy, but I had never even considered the fact that my mate would outright reject me.

Despite the comfort I seemed to provide during her change, she didn't appear to remember anything I said to her. I was just a strange vampire who changed her, then carried her home. She had no understanding of the depths of my feelings or devotion, and I was fighting an uphill battle just to gain a single ounce of trust, let alone respect.

When I thought about the fact that my mate had already been both attacked and abandoned by vampires during her short, fragile human life, I knew trust was something that would not come easily to her. The last vampires she knew literally threw her to the wolves- the same wolves, or wolf at least, who beat her within an inch of her life many times, if the evidence I saw on her body was proof enough. She was probably hell-bent on revenge, and not just against the mutts, either.

Peter slowed his run, before setting me back on my feet. I realized the pain in my chest had dulled to a deep ache, and I knew my mate must be close by. Drawing myself up to my full height, I braced myself for what I knew I had to do. As Charlotte and Bella stepped into the clearing, I kept my eyes on my mate and my back straight and proud.

She glared up at me with a rather immature look of scorn on her beautiful face, only shifting slightly when I didn't say a word. She cut her eyes to Pete and Char before squaring her chest and staring back at me defiantly.

A minute or so later I ended our standoff, startling her slightly when I began to speak. I kept my voice even, trying to sound as non-threatening as possible, but unwilling to let my emotions leak out through my tone. "Bella, did you learn anything from your little excursion?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly, but she otherwise refused to respond. Keeping my hands folded behind my back, I began to pace back in forth, coming no closer to my mate. "See, I think you may have learned a little something about our mating bond. Something about pain, perhaps? Something about the distance you can go away from me, before you crumble to the ground in agony? I know you thought you could leave me, probably go straight back to Washington and that mangy pack of dogs I took you away from, but I'm sure you have realized by now that you are stuck here for the foreseeable future."

Her sharp intake of breath and darkening of her eyes were the only indications I got that my suspicions were dead-on. Ignoring her reaction, I continued to speak, "So, here's what's going to happen. Normally when a vampire sires another vampire, he is completely in charge of his new little demon spawn. He would instruct her, train her, teach her everything she needs to know to survive in this world. I have discovered, however, that I am not the best man for the job in this case. As your mate, I am not inclined to be as firm with you as I need to be. That's where these guys come in."

I looked at Peter and Charlotte as they stepped closer to Bella, looking between us as we all squared off. "See, I don't know how much you heard while you were burning, but I'm assuming you didn't listen to my history. Now, I'll be glad to fill you in on that later, and answer any questions you may have, but let me suffice it to say that I have impeccable control. I have no intention of harming you in any way, as that wouldn't be beneficial to me at all. However, I can see that you don't trust me. I can see that you don't even like me. Why? I don't know for sure, since you clearly know nothing about me.

"Maybe I'm too tall. Maybe you don't like my boots. Maybe it's simply the fact that I'm a male vampire. Whatever the reason for your unwarranted disdain, it doesn't matter. All of my knowledge will clearly be wasted on you. See, while Peter and Charlotte have more recent experience with baby vampires, I was training newborns like you while George Washington was still President. But despite how you feel about me, as your mate, I cannot force myself to treat you harshly. I can't approach your training in the way I am most familiar with, so I have decided to turn you over to my dearest friends." I paused for a minute to see if there was any protest.

Peter shot me a smirk, already _knowing_ what I was planning. Charlotte nodded at me encouragingly, before turning her attention back to my mate. Bella's eyes widened for a minute before she schooled her features and leveled her gaze at me. I could almost see the wheels turning as she tried to think her way out of this situation. She had no idea she was up against some of the best tactical minds on this continent.

Her expression visibly altered to a wide-eyed innocence that I was sure would have melted my heart just an hour ago. I did feel a brief pang of longing when I remembered the deep brown of her human eyes, but I shook it off as I steeled myself for her response. "Of course, Garrett. I was actually going to apologize for how I have been acting. I shouldn't have run off like that, and I shouldn't have bitten you- that wasn't very polite. I would be happy to learn what I need to from you and your friends, and I hope we can all get off on the right foot this time."

If I couldn't taste her deception deep in my bones, I would have almost believed her guileless expression and earnest speech. As it was, I clenched my jaw against the words I wanted to say and pulled out some charm of my own. With a slight bow, I offered her my hand to lead us home. She stiffened slightly at the sparks that shot down our arms from the contact, but otherwise studiously ignored her attraction to me.

You may think you have won this time, Miss Bella, but you're about to learn something very important. I am a soldier, and love is a battlefield. Little one, you better get ready for war.


	6. Losing End

**_AN: We get some of Bella's history in this chapter, and it gets a little violent and includes character death. Just an FYI. _**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 6- Losing End_**

**Bella POV  
**Trying to ignore my body's reaction to contact with Garrett was like trying to ignore someone shining a flashlight in your eye. I could close my eyes and pretend it wasn't there, but that didn't change the fact that I knew I was responding to him on some level. I didn't even know why I allowed him to touch me, it certainly wasn't something I was consciously comfortable with, but my instincts were soothed in a way they hadn't been since I woke up in a strange place surrounded by some scary-looking red-eyed vamps.

Hopefully I was managing to control my outward reaction, carefully maintaining my detached disinterest as we ran at a relatively slow pace back to the cabin that was apparently my home for who knows how long.

I tried to pay attention to my surroundings and mentally mapped our progress so I could get a feel for my bearings. The blonde guy, Peter, noticed what I was doing and shot me a wink from his spot between me and his mate. The men made no apology about boxing me in on either side as we traveled together, and I didn't see any good in fighting what I knew was a losing battle.

We finally reached the house and I turned to go inside when Peter's voice stopped me, "Where you going, Sugar? We ain't even started yet!"

I turned to look at him with a mixture of curiosity and irritation; I really wanted some time to myself to think in peace, without the pain of being too far from Garrett, or the confusion that came from his presence. "Um, I was going inside...?"

Garrett threw his head back and laughed, but it seemed more in anticipation of something, rather than outright humor. I felt like I missed an inside joke or something. "Sorry little one, but Pete here needs to get started on your fight training. I'm assuming you don't want to be a defenseless newborn for the rest of your immortal life?" he asked, baiting me shamelessly.

I huffed in frustration before stepping back toward the group. "Ok, show me what I need to do."

To my absolute shock and utter embarrassment I found myself standing stock-still with my mouth hanging wide open. Peter had whipped off his t-shirt and kicked off his boots, but my attention was firmly fixed on Garrett.

He locked his eyes on me and slowly unbuttoned his shirt, finally slipping it off his broad shoulders, and let it fall carelessly to the ground. His pants were a little too loose on his waist and had slipped dangerously low on his hips, revealing a tight, sculpted stomach and a fine trail of dark hair leading down to his...

Peter's soft laughter made my eyes snap to Garrett's face and I knew if I was still human I would have been beet red. I tried to get my voice working while he knelt in front of me to untie his boots, but all my thoughts were focused on his tall, muscular, scarred body. My instincts were pulling me closer to him, telling me this was _my_ male, and he was a good warrior, a strong protector.

Not for the first time, I wondered how tall he was. If I had to guess I would put him around Jared's height, maybe 6'3" or 6'4". Kneeling as he was, he was just about eye-level with me, and I got my first good look at his shaggy brown hair. It fell in soft waves to his shoulders, framing his face in wild disarray. I wondered if he had brushed it recently, he looked like a low-maintenance guy when it came to his appearance.

He looked up and I was once again trapped in his warm red gaze, but I continued to study his face as well. He had strong cheekbones, and a long straight nose that gave him an almost aristocratic look. Or it would have if not for the dark stubble on his chin and jawline. I had never seen a vampire with facial hair before, but it really seemed to suit him and gave him a much more manly appearance than any of the Cullen men. He was wild, rugged, and to anyone else's eyes I was sure he looked rather dangerous.

Shaking myself from my blatant staring as he stood and stretched in front of me, bouncing on his toes a bit, I finally worked up the brain power to ask, "Why did you take your shirt off?"

He gave me a warm smile that I tried desperately not to react to, and nodded his head toward Peter. "I'm going to spar with him, and we tend to get a little rough. Normally we fight without shirts or shoes, because that's how we did it in the wars. It also puts our scars on display, to scare our opponents."

Now that he mentioned it, I glanced at Peter and had to fight back a growl. He was several inches shorter than Garrett, but he had just as many scars and looked positively deadly. As Charlotte came to stand beside me, the men faced off in the clearing behind the house.

"Just watch how they move, Sugar. They'll take things slow for a bit, so you can get an idea of their techniques. Then we'll show you how to handle yourself in a fight, ok?" she whispered, as we kept our eyes locked on our mates.

I nodded absently, trying to fight down the unwarranted waves of fear and anger that were rising through my shaky control. I didn't understand my protective feelings, or the intense need I felt to immediately remove my mate from this dangerous situation.

The men sank into fighting crouches and Peter waved his fingers at Garrett, who answered with a grin and a shake of his head. At some signal I didn't catch, they crashed together with a sound like thunder, that pulled a hazy memory to the front of my mind. Two vampires in a baseball field, trying to catch the same ball.

Returning my attention to the fight in front of me, I felt my panic levels rise as Garrett was slow to escape Peter's grasp and he growled in frustration. Peter's taunting words sent me spiraling into one of my worst human memories, "Come on Gar! Just give up! I'll make it quick, you won't feel a thing!"

_You're so mouthwatering, a favor to her, you won't feel a thing. Laurent's hungry eyes were locked on me and I knew my death was near. Suddenly I found myself on the forest floor, with a large black wolf standing protectively above me. Sam had followed me. He growled at the vampire who laughed at my brother, mocking him._

_"You think you can take me, wolf? I have killed dozens of your kind. I'll destroy you and drain the girl in celebration," Laurent taunted Sammy, stalking closer until they were less than a body length apart. _

_I crawled back as carefully as I could, trying to get out of the way so Sam could move freely. Just as I cleared his tail, Sam let out a roar and rose up on his hind legs to pounce. I couldn't follow their movements as they rolled around the clearing, crashing into trees and snarling at each other. I had no idea where the rest of the pack was, but I hoped they were coming soon._

_Paul came through the trees opposite where I was sitting, followed closely by a wolf I knew had to be Jacob. He had phased more than a week ago and hadn't been able to phase back human, so I hadn't seen him yet. I knew everyone expected him to imprint on me, but the pack had been quiet about his feelings since he had phased, and I was starting to get worried._

_The relief I felt at the appearance of the wolves was short-lived. Laurent suddenly had his arms around Sammy and I watched in horror as the vampire's claw-like fingers dug into his soft underbelly, gutting him like a fish. _

_I couldn't move as Sam's lifeless body phased back to human, or something close to human anyway. His vacant eyes locked on me in either apology or accusation, it was different each time I relived this horror. _

_Deafening howls were cut off by a roar from Jacob as he launched himself across the meadow to bite straight through Laurent's neck. The danger was gone, but it was too late for my savior._

_Jacob never broke stride as he stalked toward me, spitting Laurent's head to the side as he raised up and seamlessly phased back to human. "Jake," I breathed in relief, still not registering the look on his face._

_His eyes were locked on mine and I just knew he must have imprinted, until he walked right up to me and back-handed me straight into a tree. "This is all your fault! You caused this, you bitch! I hate you!" he spat as he turned back to the carnage behind him._

The next thing I was aware of was the fact that I was being held tightly in Garrett's arms and he was... singing? What the hell just happened to me?

~*ID*~

**Garrett POV  
**I thoroughly enjoyed watching Bella get all worked up as I did my little strip-tease for her. The emotions were written on her face as clear as day- lust, admiration, desire, even pride! In vampire terms I was a pretty damn nice catch, if I do say so myself.

My distraction was costing me as I sparred with Peter though, and he was enjoying having the upper hand for once. He may have been trained by Jasper, but I had been fighting much longer and I could usually take either one of them, as long as the Major didn't cheat and use his gift, that is. Today was different though, and I had my attention split between my adversary in front of me and my mate off to the side.

Just as I was breaking from his hold, Bella sucked in a startled breath and collapsed on the ground, wrapping her arms around herself in a tight ball. Her eyes were shut tight, and she kept muttering under her breath so quickly it was hard to make out the words- _no, Sammy, all my fault, _and one word that locked my muscles tight in anger, a love-filled sigh, _Jake._

Peter pushed my shoulder and snapped me out of my confused haze, and I ran to my mate who was sobbing on the ground, apparently locked in her own mind. I had no idea how to bring her back, and I was more than a little scared to touch her at this point, but I couldn't bear to see her in such pain.

I carefully scooped her up and set her on my lap; she was so much smaller all curled in on herself as she was. I pressed her face close to my chest, willing to endure another bite if it would soothe her, and I wrapped my arms around her as I rocked her gently. Without another thought, I began to sing to her softly,  
_"Love me tender, love me sweet  
Never let me go  
You have made my dreams complete  
And I love you so"_

Peter scoffed and slapped his knee with a laugh, "Elvis, Garrett? Really? Have you been to Vegas lately?"

I shot him a glare at the same time Char slapped him on the back of the head. "Shut up, Peter. You know Garrett has always been an Elvis fan. Besides, he has a very nice voice. Sugar will love it."

"_Love me tender, love me true  
All my dreams fulfill  
For my darlin' I love you  
And I always will  
_  
_Love me tender, love me dear  
Tell me you are mine  
I'll be yours through all the years  
Till the end of time"_

Bella's body finally relaxed out of the tight ball she was in, and her eyes looked up at me in confusion as I finished singing. She glanced over at Peter and Charlotte's concerned faces before ducking her head back down and tucking herself under my chin. I didn't even want to breathe in case it broke the spell we were under, but I was worried about my little mate.

Praying that she wouldn't freak out and bite me again, I took the chance on speaking to her, "Little one? Are you ok?"

She shook her head and tucked herself closer to me, breathing in my scent to calm down. I tentatively ran my hand over her back, combing lightly through her loose curls and keeping my touch as gentle as possible. Thinking how my song had soothed her, I began humming quietly as I laid my cheek against the top of her head, with my mouth close to her ear. Each breath I took carried her delicious scent in through my nose, but I forced myself to keep my desire in check. I didn't want to push her away yet.

I was startled when she finally spoke, just a soft broken whisper, "He was right. It was all my fault."

Peter's eyes were dark with anger, and Char was sobbing quietly on his shoulder. I had no idea what she was thinking about, or how to answer her so I just kept running my hand through her hair and to my surprise a purr began deep in my chest. Just one more new thing to add to the hundred others I had learned this week. I couldn't hold back the proud smile as I looked at my friends.

Bella suddenly froze in my arms, and the reaction I was hoping to avoid came to fruition. She pushed back, jumped off my lap, and looked around like she was about to bolt. Sighing in disappointment, I kept my seat on the ground as I quietly offered, "You can take the house and I'll stay out here. Or if you want to climb a tree, there's plenty to choose from. You'll know when you've gone too far."

Her eyes were wide and scared as she looked between us once again, before bolting for the trees to the south of our property. She stopped before the pain in my chest grew too painful, and I took comfort in the knowledge that she was nearby. Char spoke up quietly as she passed, "I'll go keep an eye on her."

When I was alone with Peter, I drew my knees up and dropped my head, sobbing for the distress and guilt my mate was dealing with, along with my own anger, pain, and disappointment. This is really not how I imagined mated life to be.

~*ID*~

**Paul POV (July 4th- same day Garrett took Bella from Forks)  
**Jacob's blood was still wet in my mouth when I phased human and ran for the border. Seth didn't specifically order us to keep away, but I knew he wanted Bella left in peace. I couldn't do that. I was part of the original wolf pack- Sam's pack. And Sam loved that girl like she was his own flesh and blood. By extension, Jared and I loved her as well. She was always so kind to me, making me special treats since she knew I lived alone, and keeping my clothes clean and my house free of dust. In some ways she was my first love, the first girl who looked at me and didn't just see a sex toy, someone to use and throw away. She saw my heart, and she wormed her way into it one day at a time.

I would never forget the way she looked when Sam found her on the forest floor, cold and practically lifeless. That leech had sucked her dry of everything but her precious blood. He took her personality, her sense of humor, and eventually her will to live. Sam took her in when the doctors couldn't bring her out of her catatonic state, based on Old Quil's advice that she was suffering from withdrawals. Vampire withdrawals.

It took a little over a month, but Sam and Emily got her eating again and living again. She fit seamlessly into the pack, cooking with Em and caring for the rest of us. She could usually be found on someone's lap, running her hands through our hair like a pet cat instead of a wolf. And until she got serious with Jacob, I spent most of my nights snuggled up with her in bed.

She was constantly cold, a side effect of her vampire exposure we assumed. I never pressed things with Bella, knowing it could never go anywhere since she wasn't my imprint. I had seen the devastation that Sam put Leah through when he met Emily- it was enough to drive her away from home, and out of town. I couldn't bear to put my beautiful Bella through that kind of pain.

I made do with a close platonic relationship, and we gave each other what we needed- love and respect, and plenty of cuddles. I had to back off when the mini-alpha started sniffing around and Bella gave her heart to him, or the pieces of heart she still had left anyway. I wanted to kill Jacob when he first attacked Bella, but he grabbed his alpha status with both hands and ordered me to keep my distance from her. We were busy fighting vampires and losing pack members left and right, and then I had to deal with my own imprint when Leah came back for her father's funeral.

Leah was almost as damaged as Bella, and it took me a while to wear her down, even though we shared a pack mind and she knew I was completely devoted to her. She hated Bella with a passion, and blamed her for Sam's death, something Bella took complete responsibility for.

When Jacob didn't imprint, we thought he would break up with her, especially since his hatred for her ran so deep. But of course he didn't do that. He took her and marked her, right over that damn vampire bite, and locked her away in a run-down shack deep in the woods. I watched her spirit shatter once again, and I knew there was nothing we could do to bring her back again.

If Leah wasn't pregnant and demanding my complete attention, I might have seen Jake's last attack coming in time to prevent it. As it was, I was going to collect my sister and bury her on tribal land, where she really belonged. The run took longer in human form, but I couldn't risk one of my brothers catching sight of my plan and reporting back to Seth or Leah, who would order me home again.

As soon as I neared the Cullen house, I was almost knocked over by heavy scent of leech surrounding it. Seth, Bella, and even faint traces of Jacob's scents were all still strong but there was human-drinking bloodsucker who had been here very recently. I was on high alert, in case he was sticking around, but I couldn't sense him anywhere nearby. I cautiously approached the front door, bracing myself for the image of Bella that Seth had shown us. I stopped in shock when I saw the couch was empty, apart from my sister's blood.

The leech smell was concentrated on the couch, but there was a trail marked with her blood leading up the wide staircase as well. Prepared to phase if I had to, I walked silently up the steps and into one of the Cullen's bedrooms. There was no sign of a struggle, but a ray of hope filled me when I saw two sets of bloody clothes laying next to the bloodstained bathtub and shower. There was only one reason a bloodsucker would clean up a human, and it wasn't for a meal. My Bella was changing.


	7. Look the Other Way

**_AN: Again, more history, and it includes discussion of rape and abuse. I tried to make it clear from the first chapter that this wouldn't be all sunshine and roses, but I know some of these things are triggers for others so there's your warning._**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 7- Look the Other Way_**

**Bella POV  
**I didn't go far, just out of sight of the house and the others. I needed distance, even if it was only metaphorical. I climbed halfway up a sturdy pine and braced my back against the trunk. Since Garrett brought me out of my nightmare, or flashback, or whatever the hell it was, I had memories flying at me nonstop. They ran together in no particular order, the good, the bad, and the very, very ugly.

I tried to focus on my breathing, when I realized I would be hyperventilating if I was still a human. The oxygen didn't seem to help my vampire brain, but slowing my breaths down did manage to calm me somewhat.

Knowing I needed to face my past if I had any hope of ever moving forward, I closed my eyes and let my mind run through my human life. I forced myself to think in order, to keep the memories organized and try to make sense of the fuckery I had lived through these past few years.

In some ways it felt like my life didn't begin until I moved to Forks. The years before that stretched in an endless stream of parenting my mother, occasionally visiting my absentee father, and blending into the background. When I moved to Forks, or more accurately, when I met Edward, my life was switched to an entirely new path. A supernatural world filled with monsters from both dreams and nightmares.

The Cullens- the ethereally beautiful vampires that seduced me with their peaceful way of life, and endless supply of wealth, only to abandon me when I proved myself to be too ordinarily human for them. It was ironic that I finally had the immortality that I had begged Edward for, and he was nowhere around to see it.

My love for him had disappeared as the effects of his constant presence finally wore off. Sam and the tribal elders studied me like a science project- the poor white girl who was poisoned by the bloodsuckers and left to die. I never completely believed their theories on pheromones and venom, drawing me in like prey, but now that I was on the other side, I had to admit that this was some powerful shit.

Just thinking of venom brought Garrett to the front of my mind and a longing ache to my chest. I couldn't deny the connection between us, but I sure as hell wasn't ready for whatever kind of relationship that he wanted. I was positively terrified to give myself to another man. The last ones who loved me either died or threw me away like garbage.

Taking a deep breath, I let my mind drift to Jacob. In the beginning, he was so sweet, so careful with me, and just the picture of pure innocence. Our first kiss in his garage, with the rain pouring down outside, the first time he slept over when Sam was out patrolling, and he saw the parts of me that Edward deemed too dangerous to touch. Finally, Valentine's Day in his father's old cabin, where we freely gave ourselves to each other in an awkward fumbling attempt at making love that did little for me besides erase my virginity and bring me closer to my beautiful boy.

Sam growled a little when we came back the next day, but I had no idea what he had planned for that night. The warm hug Jacob left me with was the last one I would ever receive. Sam used Jake's jealousy of Paul to force his change and the next time I saw him was the day I lost Sam and the rest of the pack as well.

As soon as the mess was cleaned up, he dragged me back to that cabin, to the bed that was still stained with my virginal blood. He pressed me face down in the mattress and fucked me harder than my human body could take, then he twisted my arm up behind me and bit down over James' scar to mark me as his. He didn't mark me as his mate, or his lover, but as his property. I couldn't get out of bed for a week.

The months after that were horrible. He blamed me for his change, and for the vampire attacks that followed, the ones that cost us Sam, Embry, both our fathers, countless innocent townspeople, and even little Collin and Brady. After that he made it his mission to make my life a living hell.

I was stroking the dark mark around James' scar, irritated that I would carry that evidence for eternity, when a rustle at the bottom of my tree brought my defenses up, and I growled a warning before I realized who was there. "Bella? Can I talk to you, or do you want to be alone a little longer?" Charlotte asked hesitantly. I was shocked to see the sun beginning to rise through the canopy of tree branches that surrounded me. Had I been up here all night?

Knowing I couldn't hide forever, I worked my way down the tree to drop in front of the little blonde vampire. Despite my best efforts, she was growing on me, slowly. Her soft southern accent and friendly smile completely offset the dangerous scars that sparsely littered her body. She and Peter were a good pair, complementing one another in looks, and personality as well. They had seemed familiar to me since I first opened my eyes and as the sunlight caught a scar on the side of Charlotte's neck, I finally made the connection.

"You and Peter remind me of someone I used to know," I mused. Of course, it was probably because Jasper was the only other blonde, southern vampire I knew, a coincidence and nothing more. But the way Char's eyes tightened made me wonder if there was something she was hiding.

"I actually wanted to talk to you about that, Sugar. Well, we all want to talk to you, but I wanted to share a little of my history with you first. Then we can meet up with the boys if that's ok," she answered.

I hated to admit it, but I was more than a little curious about this group of vampires I suddenly found myself with. Garrett had said something about wars, and George Washington, but other than that I had no idea how old they were, in either human years, or vampire. I made my way down the tree, only sitting when Charlotte settled herself casually on the ground.

"I grew up in south Texas. My family was poor, and the farm barely supported us, as the country was in a depression then. When I was fifteen, they married me off to the owner of the general store, in exchange for him forgiving their debt and all," she spoke casually about her human life, almost as if she was talking about someone else.

"I don't know how to say this gently, but my husband was not a nice man. He was cruel and violent, using me every way he could think of," she stopped abruptly and gave me a knowing look, "You know how that is, don't you, Sugar?"

I nodded solemnly, suddenly feeling a kinship with this beautiful vampire that I hadn't felt before. "One night, I think it was about 1933 or '34, a little over 3 years since we had married, we were loading the wagon after he closed the store down when I dropped a box of glass bottles that we were supposed to deliver to the town doctor.

"He grabbed me by the neck and pushed me up against the wall, trying to choke the life out of me, and told me I had outlived my use and those bottles I broke were worth more than I was. I actually felt strangely relieved that my life was ending, and I closed my eyes to give in to it." I sucked in a sharp breath at her words, thinking back to my own more recent memories.

Charlotte cocked her eyebrow at me but kept talking when I didn't interrupt any further, "The next thing I knew, I was on the ground and there was an angel dressed like a cowhand holding my husband up against the wall, _growling_. Peter locked his black eyes on me and watched me as he drained the life from that worthless man, then he picked me up and ran me back to his sire.

"I was terrified of course, but when I saw the Major all I felt was peace and safety. He apologized for biting me and told me he would protect me when I woke up. When the burn finally ended, I was alone with Peter and our sire, and I had no idea what was going on. I felt the pull to Peter, even felt the attraction, but I wanted nothing to do with him at all.

"Major let me follow him, he even kept me in his quarters when we weren't training. He seemed to know how terrified I was that Peter would stake his claim on me and take me into his bed. My sire knew he couldn't keep us apart, but he gave me time and space to heal, and he kept me close enough to Peter that we weren't in too much pain.

"The first time we went into a battle, I found myself shadowing Peter for some reason I couldn't understand. I fought off every newborn that came near him, and I growled at the other females when the fight was over. That night, he sat me down with our sire and explained what vampire mating was all about, and our relationship started to grow from that point on.

"Now, I'm sure you're wondering why I'm telling you all this, but I just wanted you to know that I do understand where you're coming from and I know how you feel. But just like Peter has never hurt me, Garrett will never hurt you. You can't blame your mate for how you were treated in the past, it only makes things harder for the both of you going forward," she looked at me expectantly as she finished her speech.

I knew it took courage for her to open up to me, and she was trying to gain my trust, which was no easy task. Sighing, I nodded to her and said, "Yeah, I know. I was just thinking about my own past. I'm afraid Garrett isn't getting the easiest mate to deal with. Hell, a mate is the last thing I want right now. I realize we have to be close to each other, and I can't deny that I'm attracted to him, but I'm just nowhere close to being able to let him in yet. Maybe once I get my revenge and put my past to rest for good. Maybe it will take me decades to move forward, I honestly don't know."

~*ID*~

**Garrett POV  
**"What the hell was that?" Peter asked, like I had any better idea than he did. I was beginning to think I did something wrong when I bit my mate. Maybe there was some technique to it that I messed up, and I didn't get her turned just right. Maybe she was still part human or something.

"She ain't human, Gar. You turned her alright, she's just having some trouble adjusting is all." I swear the fucker could read my mind, no matter how much he denied it. How many fingers am I holding up, Pete? "I can't read your mind and you're flipping me off. If you weren't so easy to predict, I wouldn't _know_ so much shit about you. Maybe you can take some lessons from your little mate," he teased.

I sighed, laying back on the grass, not bothering with my shirt. Or Carlisle's shirt. I guess I should head in and shower while my mate was otherwise distracted, but part of me didn't want to wash her scent off me. It would be nice to get back into my own clothes though. "Yeah, so our idea didn't exactly go according to plan. Guess we need to re-group for tomorrow."

Peter snorted and laid down beside me, looking up at the stars. It was supposed to be simple- I would spar a little with Peter, let Bella see me in "danger," and hopefully trigger her mating instincts to protect me. Instead, we seemed to have triggered her memories and cause her to have a nightmare, or flashback, or whatever the hell she just did.

"Hey- you said something about her memories when I first found her, is your gift telling you anything else?" I asked him, half-hoping he was still holding out on me.

He shook his head a little, "No, I don't know anything new. I _knew_ she would remember everything, but maybe she had the details suppressed and something we did opened them up for her? Hell, I ain't no shrink. That's more Char's area of expertise."

I nodded and turned my attention back to the sky while I focused on my bond with Bella. I could feel where she was, less than a half mile from the house, but I couldn't feel her emotions very clearly. I hoped she was ok and that I wasn't making a mistake by keeping my distance from her.

Peter startled me out of my musing by sitting up suddenly. I hadn't been with him when he got his information very often, but it was hard to miss when he did. His eyes were wide and he looked like he was thinking very hard. "We need to tell her about our connections with the Cullens. She'll be pissed, but it will be a lot worse if we wait."

I groaned and covered my face with my hands. Why did I get the feeling I would end up with some new scars after we shared that lovely piece of information with my volatile little mate? Well, I might as well get comfortable. I headed inside and took a few hours to straighten up, putting away the few items I couldn't replace easily, and those with sentimental value. It wasn't much, but I had been a nomad for most of my life and I liked to travel light.

I found the bag of clothing that Peter and Char had brought for Bella, and I arranged it in my closet, more to get my scent transferred to her things than out of any hope for our relationship. I would leave the room to her if she wanted it, not like I needed a bed for anything.

Once the house was baby-proofed, I jumped in the shower and washed the evidence of the day from my skin. I pulled on a simple black t-shirt and my second-favorite pair of jeans, just in case she decided to go for my legs this time. As I was toweling off, I couldn't help but admire my new scars. My favorite was the mating mark on my neck, but I knew I would always hold a special fondness for the one on my forearm as well. Whether she meant it or not, it was the first claim she made on me, just like my sire mark was for her.

The sun was coming up when the girls made their way back to the house. We met them on the porch, Peter trying to suck Char's face off as usual, while I nodded my head at Bella and offered her what I hoped was a non-threatening smile. She looked me up and down, apparently noticing my damp hair and fresh clothes, but she carefully schooled her features to hide her reaction.

"Bella wants me to help her with the shower, then we can all sit and chat, ok?" Charlotte looked at me seriously, and I knew I wasn't going to enjoy the conversation to come. That was if I could survive the thought of my mate, wet and naked in the shower, mere feet from where I was sitting. Can a vampire self-combust? I might be the first.

Bella chatted pleasantly with Char, and I was glad they at least seemed to be on their way to friendship. She thanked her for the clothes, pleased that they were her size and more casual than what I had dressed her in back in Forks. When she questioned Char on where I got the clothes she was wearing when she woke up, Char deflected by telling her I stole them. I guess she really was out of it for that part of her change. Small miracles.

Her scent hit me like a wrecking ball when she came through the door a half hour later, running her hand through her wet hair and wearing not nearly enough clothes for my sanity. The soft cotton t-shirt clearly displayed her apparent aversion to undergarments, and the yoga pants she was wearing outlined every gorgeous curve of her shapely little legs.

Peter kicked my chair, bringing me out of my daze, and I shot him a grateful look as Bella sat carefully in the porch swing. She seemed to be doing well on her gross motor skills, as I hadn't heard her step through the floor anywhere, and the swing was still secure after she put her weight in it. We would have to work on the finer things as she got more accustomed to her new body and strength.

I worked up the courage to speak to my mate, hoping she was in a better mood after her shower. "Feeling better now?"

She nodded briskly, before looking down at her hands. "I'm, um, sorry I freaked out earlier. I just had some memories hit me and they were a little hard to deal with."

I waited for her to look back up before smiling softly. "It's ok, sweet girl. I just wish I could help you, but I understand why you needed space."

Keeping eye contact with me, she took a deep breath and spoke, almost like it hurt her to say the words, "You did help me, Garrett, and I appreciate it. You calmed me down and brought me out of the flashback, or whatever I had, and let me get a handle on my thoughts. Thank you," she cleared her throat unnecessarily as she glanced away. "And, um, you have a really nice voice," I could barely make out the last words as her voice trailed off quietly.

Trying to contain my grin, I nodded solemnly and offered a quiet 'thank you.'

Peter cleared his throat to bring her attention back to him as I took a step back from the conversation, figuratively speaking. "So, Sugar, can I ask you how much you remember from before your change?"

She seemed a little startled by the direct question, and exchanged a glance with Charlotte before squaring her shoulders and looking him in the eye, "Yes. I remember everything. Every little fucking detail that I wish I could erase, every happy moment I want to hold onto, I remember it all."

Pete nodded, ignoring her harsh tone, and went in for the kill, "And do you remember much about where you were changed? Where Garrett found you?"

Bella looked at me in question, not understanding why we were asking. I really hated to do this, but with the possibility of Alice seeing all this and bringing the whole horde down on us, or Jasper following Peter up here, it was better to be honest with her up front, rather than waiting to be caught off guard later.

"Um, yeah. I was... attacked... and then I was brought to the Cullen house in Forks. Why? Do you know them or something?" she was still looking at me for an answer, so I had to man the fuck up and answer.

I turned to face her head on and started to reach for her hand before I remembered myself and clasped my hands in my lap with a sigh, "Little one, I have known Carlisle for almost two hundred years. I met him shortly after I left the Southern Vampire wars in the early 1800's, and I have kept in touch with him over the years. I was a nomad up until recently, and I would stop in every few years to visit him when I was in the area."

Her breathing sped a bit and I could see she was thinking things over. I didn't think it had occurred to her yet how I came to be in that house when I was. "Ok, so, you what? Stopped by to visit and old friend and found me instead?"

She wasn't mad yet, so that was a good thing. "No, actually, Peter told me to go there. He didn't know about your circumstances exactly, he just knew I needed to go. He gets these feelings sometimes, stuff to do or-"

"I just know shit," Peter chimed in finally. "It's not a gift exactly, I don't see the future or nothing like that, I just know shit."

Bella looked at him skeptically, but didn't question him on his gift. "So, do you know the Cullens too? Are you friends with Carlisle?"

Now we were getting down the dangerous stuff. Pete actually looked a little nervous to reveal his connection with the veggie vamps. "Um, not exactly. Well, you know Charlotte told you we were in the south as well? Well, you kind of know our sire, the man who let us go free and start our new lives. His name is Jasper, Jasper Whitlock, but you probably know him as Jasper Hale."

Bella was silent for almost a full minute before I could sense her anger rising and her eyes getting dark. She turned her glare on Peter and I wasn't sure what she would do. "Fucking Alice. Did she send you? Is this her idea of fucking with my life without breaking Edward's orders? Stupid bitch. I should have known she couldn't leave well enough alone."

She stood and started pacing back and forth, muttering under her breath about paper cuts, meddling pixies, wolves, and the forest. We all jumped when she let out a frustrated scream and stomped her foot right through the porch. So much for her control.

"Ugh! I hate her! I think I hate her even more than I hate him. I was never good enough for her, never pretty enough, or fancy enough for their stupid family. Fuck that." She turned and faced us, pushing her breasts up with hands, bringing my little general to attention. "Wonder if I'm pretty enough now? If I have a nice enough figure for her expensive designer clothes. Ha- at least I don't have to spend eternity with a fucked-up haircut like her!" she added, running her hands through her gorgeous flowing hair. I think I actually whimpered a little.

With the speed only a newborn can pull off, her mood flipped like a switch. She knelt in front of Peter, shocking me with her vulnerability, and asked, "Have you talked to Jasper lately? I worried about him after they left. The family was pretty hard on him, but I told Edward to let him know I never held it against him. Hell, I know how bloodlust feels now! I can't imagine what he was dealing with, feeling all theirs."

Her eyes softened as she took in our serious expressions. Pete shook his head and actually reached for her hand. "No, Sugar. I ain't talked to him lately. He didn't do so well after that party, and he left the family. Well, after Alice told him about you, anyway. Bella, she told them all that you died, the same day Edward left you. He blamed himself and he went back to the wars. We ain't seen him since."

Charlotte spoke up softly, "Sugar, the Cullens all think you've been dead all these years. I think they would have come back for you if they knew what you were facing at home."

I added my piece, the one thing I wasn't sure I wanted to offer, "We can contact them for you if you would like. It's up to you, though."

Nobody moved as Bella processed what we told her. She finally stood up in a quick flurry of movement and was in my face. It took every ounce of control I had not to react to her close proximity. "NO! I don't give a fuck about that _family_. They thought I died? That didn't bother them enough to come back for my imaginary funeral! No. I don't ever want to see them again. If they come here, I'm gonna kill them."

With that, she took off for her tree again, growling and cussing all the way.

Well, that went better than I expected.


	8. She Seemed Alright

**_AN: Ok, last bit of history (for now) and a little moving forward._**

* * *

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 8- She Seemed Alright_**

_"Well she seemed all right by dawn's early light  
Though she looked a little worried and weak"  
-Martina McBride, Independence Day_

**Garrett POV  
**I let her go, waiting a minute or so before I followed after her. I wanted to give Peter and Charlotte some time together before we had to take Bella hunting again, and it was clear we weren't going to get much out of her today anyway.

Following her trail was way too easy, but since she knew not to get too far away from me now, I wasn't worried about her being tracked. The Cullens were the only wild card in all this, and based on her reaction to them I made a conscious decision to kill on sight anyone other than Carlisle and Esme if I caught them snooping around my territory. Let the little fortune teller suck on that one for a while.

I settled myself under a tree, not too far from where my mate was perched. I wanted to do my part to ease her physical discomfort, even if she wouldn't let me help her sort through her emotions.

I didn't need to pay too close attention since it seemed like she wasn't going anywhere, so I thought back to how she felt in my arms yesterday. She was upset and stressed out, and for just a few moments, I was able to comfort my mate. She responded to my touch, and my voice, and I had to cling to that, knowing that some part of her was comfortable with me and needed me as much as I needed her.

The sun crept closer to noon as I kept my eyes glued to the woman I was now hopelessly devoted to. Damn it, now I have that song in my head. Why did Peter have to be so insistent that we stay on top of human trends and current events? It's not like our vampire memories can ever un-see some of that shit. I mean, Grease wasn't that bad, and it's not that I'm complaining about Marilyn Monroe or Elvis Presley, but when he tried to drag me to a damn Beatles concert, I put my foot down. British invasion, my ass.

Anyway, Bella sat perfectly still for the first hour or so, then she started muttering random things that I assumed she remembered from her time with the Cullens- baseball, bottle cap, ballet, and something about mushroom ravioli of all things. I just tried to give her my silent support while she worked through her memories.

She was so beautiful, even with her face marred by a frown. Her skin was clear and smooth, and I knew I would do my damnedest to keep it that way. No one would mark her again, unless she allowed me to. I had to stop those thoughts fast, we weren't anywhere near that stage yet.

~*ID*~

About an hour before dusk, I worked up the courage to stand and attempt to bring my little one out of her thoughts. "Bella? It's getting close to dark, are you ready to hunt again?"

I knew better than to tell her we needed to do something- asking would clearly get me further with my independent mate.

She seemed almost startled as she looked down at me from her perch above. I could see her eyes darken as her throat worked in an effort to keep the venom pooling in her mouth from running out. Bringing up thirst is the quickest way to get a baby vampire in the mood to hunt.

Instead of answering me, she hopped down from her tree and looked at me expectantly. Ok, I guess I'll carry the conversation then. "If you'd like to head back to the house, we can see if Peter and Char have come up for air yet, and then we'll head to Billings for your meal tonight. We need to spread your hunting around while you're this young."

She nodded and turned without a word to run back to the house. Damn, it's really depressing when you consider it a good conversation with your mate if she doesn't speak and doesn't bite.

Peter and Charlotte were already waiting for us, and we set off to town at a brisk run. Well, it was brisk for us, but I knew Bella must have felt like we were holding back. She really had no idea how much speed and strength she was capable of right now, and I wasn't sure it was wise to let her know.

Bella paid attention to our route again, but was still trying to be sneaky about it. She probably thinks she knows more than the average newborn since she was familiar with vampires before her change, but that hasn't stopped her from making the same mistakes every newborn makes. She has underestimated the rest of us at every turn.

I stepped back when we reached town to let Bella's new instructors take charge of her hunting. Charlotte stood close beside her while Peter went in search of her dinner. It didn't take him long, since he usually _knows _exactly where to look, and I was proud to see Bella hold her breath without being told when the human was in range.

Her eyes still darkened to black almost instantly, and she couldn't stop the excess venom pooling in her mouth as her lips drew back from razor-sharp teeth. She was truly magnificent. Peter nodded for Charlotte to step back as he approached my mate.

"Now Sugar, I know you're thirsty, but we're gonna work on your table manners tonight. You wasted too much blood last time, and we can't afford to be wasteful here. I want you to concentrate on controlling your bite, and only bite deep enough to hit the artery, ok?" I was grateful that Peter was speaking to her in a calm and gentle tone of voice, nothing like he would have ever used on a newborn before, with the exception of Charlotte, of course.

Bella's eyes widened a little and I could tell she was worried she wouldn't get it right. I smiled at her, but didn't speak up to reassure her, knowing her control was hanging by a very thin thread. She swallowed another mouthful of venom and nodded at Pete.

He set the unconscious human down on the ground and stepped back quickly as Bella rushed forward. She still crushed most of the bones in the body she was holding, but her bite was marginally cleaner and she consumed much more blood than her last hunt.

She dropped the body as soon as it ran dry, but her eyes were still black when she looked straight at me. I resigned myself for her fury, but she shocked the hell out of me when she stalked toward me slowly and stopped right in front of my chest. She looked like she was debating something and I was sure it was where she was going to bite me next, so I was completely caught off guard when she leaned up on her toes and pulled my face down to meet hers.

Her lips met mine with more force than I would have expected if I had even remotely considered the fact that she might kiss me. Warmth and softness was all I could feel, as if every part of my body had disappeared apart from my lips. We moved at the same time- she jumped up to wrap her legs around my waist, and I caught her with one arm to hold her away from my instant erection, not wanting to scare her away this soon.

I opened my mouth to her when she pressed her tongue against my lips, and I was finally able to taste her for myself. She moved against my body in a sensuous dance as her tongue tangled with mine, until she suddenly froze. It took my brain a few seconds to catch up, and then she was pulling away and cutting her eyes to ground in obvious embarrassment. I had to fix this.

Lifting my hand slowly to press against her chin, I nudged her softly to look at me. I tried to convey everything I was feeling with just my eyes alone as I spoke, "Thank you, Bella. That was amazing, and beautiful, and even better than I could have dreamed. I know you may not be ready for us to move forward in this way, but I will never turn you away if you want or need my affection. Please don't regret this, sweet girl. I know I sure don't."

She stared into my eyes and I noticed hers had again brightened to a brilliant red, all traces of lust long gone. I felt as though she was evaluating me for something and I just hoped I was able to measure up. After another silent moment, she drew herself up proudly and gave me a short nod. Then she turned back to Peter and ducked her head a bit in submission. "I'm ready to go home now," she said softly.

I couldn't stop my hand from rising to my lips as she turned away. My mate actually kissed me.

~*ID*~

**Bella POV  
**I spent most of the day in my tree thinking back over my memories. It was clear that I had trust issues, but I felt like I needed to figure out when exactly I became so cynical. I knew I went a little crazy when Edward left me, and it hurt a lot when Charlie gave up on me almost immediately, sending me to live with Sammy just a few days after he found me in the forest.

But even after two betrayals in quick succession, I still let Sam and Emily in to care for me, and I never once doubted their intentions or held them at arm's length. Jared and Paul were also quick to earn my trust and affection, just through their association with Sam.

My pack family healed my heart enough to leave me open to Jake's advances. I thought I could trust his almost obsessive love for me, since everyone agreed there was no way he wouldn't imprint on me. He had loved me his whole life, after all.

It was becoming clear to me that while Edward may have set me on the path to self-destruction, Jake was the literal straw that broke me. His absolute hatred for me in the midst of the chaos that Laurent and Victoria brought, was enough to destroy the last bit of self-respect I still had.

Victoria's attack was the catalyst for my complete exile. I still felt the overwhelming guilt for my part in all those unnecessary deaths, and I probably would for the rest of my life. Sam was just the first, but Victoria soon began stealing people from Forks and La Push and turning them for her army. She managed to escape the wolves, but she couldn't resist taking out Embry when he tried to defend Charlie. He was the last piece of her army of vengeance, and I was still grateful he died instead of going through the pain of the change.

When her army was unleashed, the wolves fought hard but couldn't stop them all. Jake left Collin and Brady in charge of guarding his father and me, while Seth and Leah were with Emily and Kim. Collin and Brady were too stunned to attack when their aunt and one of their teachers came back in vampire form, and they were killed much like Sammy was. Billy was made a meal while I watched in horror from the next room.

Jake and Paul had seen what happened and raced over to take out the last of the newborns when Victoria showed up. I tried to give myself up, but all I did was serve as a distraction for the wolves to finally take her down. After that, no one challenged Jake on his treatment of me, and I was officially alone in the world.

The more I thought about things, the madder I got. I realized that even in my new body and my new life, Jake was still in control. I couldn't even let myself trust my own mate because of Jacob's betrayal and his treatment of me. I no longer wanted him to have that much power over me, but I had no idea how to change things.

Thinking about Garrett filled me with a strange mixture of longing, lust, and terror. I was so scared that the minute I gave in to him, he would turn around and destroy me. I tried to focus on the fact that he had never once done anything to hurt me, and he hadn't even retaliated when I attacked him over and over. Of course, I couldn't overlook the fact that he was sexy as hell.

I never really thought of myself as having a certain "type" I was attracted to. I mean, Edward and Jacob were proof of that- they were pretty much complete opposites in every way, and I loved them both. Of course, there were plenty of attractive guys that I wasn't attracted to at all. Out of the pack, Paul and Jacob were the only ones I thought were sexy, and of course Emmett, Jasper, and even Carlisle were gorgeous, but I never felt that way about them either.

From the minute I saw Garrett, I wanted him. I didn't just want to hold his hand either. But that brought up my very limited, distorted sex life. Even if I could somehow move past the mental block I had, what made me think I even had a hope of pleasing Garrett. I mean, if he was as old as he hinted, I seriously doubt he sat around celibate like Edward. What if I couldn't satisfy him in that area?

These thoughts were still swirling as the others took me hunting, though I did pay attention to Peter's instructions. Drinking blood really was a lot harder than it looks. You would think it would come naturally, but there was a lot to think about when you're biting.

As soon as I drained my meal, and actually felt relief from my constant thirst, I realized I was still feeling a desire for... something. Looking at Garrett, I knew immediately that he was what I wanted.

I didn't want to bite him, or rather, it wasn't my top priority at the moment. I did desperately want to taste him, to see if his mouth was as good as his venom, or if his skin tasted as good as it smelled.

Walking up to him I was unsure how my intentions would be received, and I was more than a little doubtful about my kissing abilities. Looking into Garrett's warm red eyes steeled my resolve and I reached up to pull his mouth to mine, probably a little harder than I should have.

Kissing Garrett was an experience in itself. It was like I had been floating around the world with no direction and I was suddenly anchored in place by his strong, masculine body. When he recovered from his shock and began to kiss me back, we moved in complete harmony. I jumped into his arms, and he caught me in a move so perfect it probably looked choreographed.

For an eternity, or a few seconds, my life was completely perfect. Then my stupid vampire brain began overanalyzing the moment and I felt myself pulling away from my mate, completely embarrassed by my wanton display.

Garrett once again proved his perfection by telling me exactly what I needed to hear. I wanted to laugh at his offer of "affection," and I was relieved that he was open to my erratic advances. If I could get my head straightened out, maybe we could have a future together after all.

Determined to be a good newborn and not push Garrett anymore tonight, I turned back to Peter and told him I was ready to go home. Garrett ran beside me with a satisfied smile on his face, and he glanced at me as often as I did him. I really hoped he wouldn't push me, but I was trying to tell myself I didn't have to fear him, that it was only my warped past still trying to direct my thoughts.

Peter wanted to try my training again when we got back to the cabin, but Garrett asked him to give us some space, saying that he wanted to show me some things around the property. At first, I was afraid he meant the bedroom, but he drew me first toward an old shed in the back that I had noticed several times, but overlooked as unimportant.

I was apprehensive when reached for the large wooden door, but I couldn't hold back my gasp of surprise when I took in the beautiful craftsmanship around me. There were chairs, tables, and even a child's rocking horse, all hand-carved from what looked like very high quality wood. The tools around looked old-fashioned, like something you would find in Amish country.

"When I was a boy, my father taught me to work with wood," I was startled by Garrett's voice from behind me, but he continued speaking as if I hadn't jumped in fright. "As I grew up, I made furniture for our home, and for our friends and neighbors. I once made an entire set of pews for a new church in the next town over. People began to associate my family's name with quality furniture, and I was the main craftsman."

I walked around inspecting the various pieces, not trusting myself to touch them, as his voice relaxed me with his tale. "My father was a successful merchant, but the British tariffs really affected his business. He was popular around our area, so he was elected to the Continental Congress and actually signed the Declaration of Independence. I try to visit as often as I can, because it's the last tangible link I have to my human family."

Garrett's voice took on a melancholy tone when he spoke of his father, but I could hear his pride as well. "I joined the Continental army and was fairly successful on the battlefield, until I was shot in the gut during a very close battle." I found myself gasping in shock as he spoke so matter-of-factly about the end of his human life.

"Back in those days, that was a fatal wound, and I was left on the battlefield with the other dying soldiers, where a vampire found me. He was dressed as a redcoat and had that same nasally British accent so I hated him immediately. I have no idea why he let me change, if it was an accident or what, but I woke up three days later surrounded by blood and extremely thirsty.

"War is a convenient time to be a newborn vampire, and I was very well-fed during my first months. I didn't understand exactly what I was, but I knew I needed blood, and I just followed the battles around, drinking from all the British soldiers I could find.

"It didn't take long for another vampire, Charles, to find me and start to instruct me on what I was and what rules we had to follow to prevent exposure. He shared my diet and my patriotism, so we traveled together until the end of the war. We ran across my sire after one battle and Charles helped me to destroy him, as he was still feeding from our American brothers.

"With my country secure, I decided to set out exploring. Unfortunately, I wandered south and found myself in the middle of yet another war. I did what I had to do to survive, biding my time until my coven was defeated and I could head north again. That's when I met Carlisle." He shot me a glance to see how I would react to that name, but I just waved him on, hoping he would continue his story. I was fascinated by his life, and how he had lived through things I only studied about in school.

"Carlisle and I hit it off, and I forgave him for his heritage when he told me he had traveled to America with our allies from France. He told me he had trained as a doctor and actually helped our soldiers on the battlefield, when the weather was cooperative that is. Of course, Carlisle tried to convert me to his diet, but I had no interest in feeding from animals. They really do taste like shit." I think I shocked us both with my giggle at his comment, but the warmth I felt at his smile was something I filed away to think of later.

"Anyway, since then I have pretty much just traveled the country, watching it grow and helping out when I could. I worked on the railroad, did some gold mining in California, and even helped with the Hoover Dam. I guess you could say I like leaving my mark on things.

"So, when I bought this house, I found the shed and decided it was time to get back to my roots. I found some tools and my knowledge slowly came back to me, and I have been working ever since. I brought you out here because I thought we could work on your control a bit, with some of the spare pieces of wood I always have lying around."

It took me a minute to catch what he said, because I was completely mesmerized by his soothing voice. I was beginning to think I could listen to Garrett talk and never get tired of it. Well, I wouldn't mind if he sang something every now and then either.

Nodding my agreement, I sat down where he indicated and began to follow his instructions on manipulating the soft wood. Some pieced he wanted me to carve, others to break and still others I had to shred into certain sized pieces. It was tedious work, but it required more concentration than I would have thought originally, and it was actually a relief to have my chaotic brain focused on a specific task.

I worked in silence, other than the sounds of Garrett's tools as he carved spindles for what I guessed to be a rocking chair. Peter slipped in at one point, picking up one of my discarded wood pieces and carving it with a pocketknife. He whistled quietly and I slowly relaxed as the peaceful environment soothed my battered soul.

It took me almost an hour to figure out what was bothering me and when I did, I suddenly turned to Peter, startling both him and Garrett. "Why do you carry a pocketknife, Peter? You're a vampire, you don't need any weapons!"

Peter smiled almost indulgently, and I had a brief flash of the paternal looks that Sam would give me when I was curious about something. The memory hurt, but also made me feel strangely closer to the vampire in front of me. "Very observant, Sugar. See, I don't remember too much about my human life, but I do remember that my Pa always carried a pocketknife like this one, and he would sit on the front porch and whittle every night after supper."

His eyes took on a far-away look as he continued, "I told Jasper that story a few years after I was turned, and he said his Pa did the same thing. A few nights later, he brought me this knife that he took off one of his victims. Said I could whittle for the both of us since he had no interest in it. I've always kept it on me, ever since then. Doesn't help much in a vampire fight, but it does help me remember where I came from."

I nodded in acceptance, thinking back once again to the quiet, powerful vampire that Alice led around on a leash. After hearing Peter and Charlotte talk about their sire, I was realizing there was a lot more to Jasper than he ever let on. He was just another victim of Alice and Edward's controlling behavior, and for the first time, I found myself truly grateful that the Cullens left me behind.


	9. White Dove

**_AN: A lot of my newborn-Bella training has been inspired by the lovely and talented GeezerWench, and her story I Live. I will never come close to the amazing depth and descriptions she uses, but I think her baby vampire busy work is just spot-on. So these next few chapters (and the last one(s)) have a bit of her influence. Love ya darlin ;)_**

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_D__isclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 9- White Dove_**

**Bella POV  
**The rest of the night passed quietly, and I didn't even notice when the sun came through the doorway with the strength of mid-day. Garrett finally drew my attention when he put his tools away and turned off the overhead light before stepping over to check my progress. I had been doing well, but as the sunlight caught his skin, I snapped the piece of wood I was holding and gasped quietly.

The sun reflected off his scars, lighting his exposed neck and arms with a luminescent pattern that took my breath away. My eyes were drawn to a recent scar on his forearm that seemed more raised and angry than the rest. With a rush of guilt, I realized it was where I first bit him. Shame washed over me as I took in the damage I inflicted on my own mate.

I reached out to tentatively run my finger over the jagged scar, much rougher and torn than the bite I had from James. That made me feel even worse. I really was a poison, hurting everyone I came in contact with, and my mate would wear proof of that on his skin, for the rest of eternity.

"I'm so sorry, Garrett. I really wasn't thinking clearly and I panicked. I still shouldn't have bitten you like that," I said the words quietly, unwilling to meet his eyes, but he once again nudged my chin up to see his face much closer than I expected.

His tall frame was hunched over, bent toward me as he lowered himself to my meager height. My mind wandered again as I realized a vampire wouldn't survive this long alone, through wars and such, by cowering before others. He was clearly a strong force to be reckoned with, yet he was willing to make himself vulnerable before me over and over again. Who was this man?

"Bella, sweet girl, it's ok. I should have been more prepared for your reaction when you woke, and I let things get out of hand too quickly. Nothing you did was your fault, and the responsibility lies squarely on my shoulders." _And such broad shoulders you have..._ Damn newborn distraction. "Listen to me, I do not hold any ill feelings toward you, and to be perfectly honest, your bites are the scars I am most proud of. I will gladly wear them, along with any others I might gain, as long as it means that I have you with me."

Once again, I was mesmerized by his honest eyes and smooth voice. That man could sell ice to a penguin. A chill ran down my spine as I began to acknowledge the fact that he was _mine._ That was a very heady thing to consider. Not able to trust my voice, I simply nodded and took a step back to put some distance between us. I didn't miss the flash of hurt that crossed his face, but I just couldn't think clearly with him that close. His scent was overpowering my senses.

He sighed as he straightened up and ran his hand through his shaggy hair, reinforcing my belief that he didn't own a brush of his own. There hadn't been one in the bathroom, and Charlotte pulled a new one from a bag of toiletries they brought for me. Apparently Peter's non-gift was useful in situations like shopping for someone you've never met.

I followed Garrett from the shed, noticing that he started to reach for my hand and pulled back uncertainly. I just couldn't leave him like that, not when I needed some reassurance of my own. I slipped my hand lightly into his larger one and gave my own sigh of relief as our skin connected.

"So, what else is on the agenda for today?" I finally got my thoughts organized enough to speak.

"Well, I thought we'd try your fight training again, if you think you're up for it. I have been making decisions to try to warn the Cullens away from here, but I would feel better if you were prepared for any sort of visitor we might receive, or meet along the way somewhere. I really don't want you to remain defenseless any longer," he said, looking at me almost shyly.

I took a deep breath, still used to my human reactions, as I thought about our last attempt at fighting. I didn't think we would experience a repeat of my flashbacks, but I also wasn't sure I could watch Garrett be attacked very much, even if I was getting more comfortable with Peter.

"Ok, I guess we can try. It can't be any worse than last time, right?" My half-shrug was met with a chuckle and we were suddenly standing with Peter and Charlotte in the yard. Charlotte offered me a friendly smile and I found myself returning it instantly. These vampires were even more charming than the Cullens...

Peter talked me through what he wanted to do this time, showing me different holds and blocks for different attacks. He showed me how to use my newborn strength to my advantage, and not as a disadvantage by simply fighting the way that came naturally to me. Garrett stood by quietly as I faced off against Charlotte, and then Peter, but when he was asked to take a turn, he shook his head vehemently.

"No. I will not do it," he glared at Peter, giving me the impression that this was something he had already discussed.

"Come on, Gar. You know you're the best, just don't tell Jasper I said that. She needs to learn from you as well," Peter tried to convince my mate to change his mind.

"_No,_" he said again, before turning to face me. "Look little one, I can't do it. I will not raise my hand to you even in a mock attempt at battle. I physically cannot do it, and I wouldn't even if I could. I won't give you even the smallest reason to fear me. You're my mate, and that's that. Now, I'll be happy to add my advice when you're working with these two, but I will not spar with you. I'm sorry."

Charlotte and I exchanged a loaded look, and she slipped her arm through mine as Garrett finished his speech. Peter had a knowing grin on his face, which led me to believe my mate had walked right into that one.

Wanting to let him know how much I appreciated his words, as well as the sentiment behind them, I walked over and squeezed his hand before turning back to Peter. "Ok, let's go again."

**Garrett POV  
**Over the next couple of weeks we fell into a routine, one that while it wasn't exactly comfortable, it was at least predictable. We spent the daylight hours training Bella while the sunlight and shadows played the most havoc on her newborn concentration. She fought us easily as she grew frustrated with Peter's brusque orders and Charlotte's superior skills. My comments and advice were met with an icy stare that bordered on betrayal, but every time I tried to stop her training she would shake her head and remind me (or herself) that this was something she needed to learn.

By late morning or early afternoon, she was usually ready to move on to other things, so we took turns escorting her around our territory and showing her how to mark the boundaries with her venom, and how to pick up on trails from other vampires. This served the added bonus of watching for unwanted visitors, as well as educating my mate.

If it wasn't late enough to hunt by the time she returned to the house, Charlotte or I would take her inside to work on her fine motor skills. She enjoyed working with the wood in my shop, but quickly mastered the skill needed and was ready to handle more delicate items. We picked up books and newspapers every time we went to town and let her practice turning pages, tearing paper, and so on. These tasks irritated her almost as much as fighting, but she practically oozed determination and said she wanted to be able to read again. She hadn't held a book in over two years and it was something she dearly missed.

Just thinking of that mutt and the levels of control he still held over made me want to run straight back to Washington and sniff him out. Bella had slowly filled me in on a bit of her history while sitting in my shop during the night. With Peter and Charlotte otherwise occupied, the nighttime hours were ours alone. She seemed more willing to speak to me when we were both distracted by our woodworking, though I did break many pieces over the telling of her story. If she noticed my tension, she never commented on it, but she would occasionally lay her hand on my arm, usually over her bite, and sit quietly until I relaxed.

Our earth-shattering kiss had not been repeated yet, but Bella clearly fought her lust every time she fed, and at other times during the week as well. I could feel her eyes burning into me every time I sparred with Peter, and she couldn't resist sniffing me each time I finished my shower. I didn't want to get my hopes too high, but I felt were were definitely beginning to make progress. She hadn't bitten me again yet, and she only snarled at me once, when I stepped too close while she was feeding.

I knew we still had a long road ahead of us, but the fact that she sought out my presence for comfort was rewarding in itself. But I swear she and Charlotte were choosing her clothes specifically to fuck with me. She had moved to shorts and tank tops for her fighting lessons, that left way too much of her soft, creamy skin on display. For hunting she looked positively sinful dressed all in black, as her table manners still left much to be desired. The rest of the time she dressed casually, in clothes that fit her _very_ well, but what made her most attractive was the fact that she had absolutely no idea how sexy she really was.

The past few days had been a bit tense, since we were beginning to stretch Bella's feedings out, in an effort to teach her self-control. Letting a newborn feed as much as she wants is not the best way to raise a well-adjusted vampire. She had to take control of all parts of her nature if she was going to be able to keep the secret.

I was startled to hear the sound of giggling when I stepped out of the shower after a particularly rough session with Peter. He seemed determined to get the upper hand with me, and show Bella just how much of a distraction she was to me. It took some time to scrub the dirt from my hair and body, but Bella had floated into the house with Charlotte to work on her papers without a care in the world.

The unfamiliar laughter sounded again, followed by praise from Charlotte, while I hurried to pull on my clothes and race out of the bedroom. The sight in front of me drew me up short, and brought a happy smile to my face. Bella was seated at the table in the unused kitchen, surrounded by piles of newspaper in various conditions. She had a bright smile on her face, and her ruby eyes glittered with delight. She laughed again as she handed Charlotte a page and the sound filled me with a longing to coax that sound from her every chance I could get.

Unable to stay away, I walked toward her, still smiling. "What's so funny, little one?"

She jumped up, a little startled, but ran to me waving a page around. "Look, Garrett! See what I did!" I knew she was pleased with her control; she had been working for days to be able to separate the thin sheets of newsprint without tearing them, and it seemed like she had finally succeeded. However, I caught the headline on the paper and decided to tease my mate a bit and see if I could bring out more of her beautiful laughter.

"Look at this! Can you believe they put this shit in an American newspaper? And on the front page of all places?! So the Brits have another successor to the throne, big deal. How on earth is that our business over here? It's a baby prince, not world peace! Ungrateful humans, where would they be if my generation had simpered over royalty-" I stopped talking when another bright giggle burst from behind Bella's hand. She was covering her smile, but her joy was shining from her entire face.

"No, Garrett! Not the words! I meant, look at how I got the page out, all by itself! I didn't tear it at all! See!" She raised up on her toes and deftly plucked the paper from my hand, grinning happily at her accomplishment. "You're such a cute little old man sometimes, Gar. I love it when you go all 'back in my day...'"

Her laughter cut her off as I gave a soft growl. "Old man? I'll show you old man, girlie!" I didn't even think before I lunged toward her, reaching to tickle her ribs as she continued to laugh and wiggle in my grasp. I was laughing as well until I suddenly realized what I was doing and froze in shock. "Oh, Bella. I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to, I mean, I shouldn't have-"

My sweet girl looked at me with soft eyes, and a warm smile on her beautiful face. She lifted a finger and place it over my lips, shocking me even further. I couldn't have moved if I had to. "Garrett, it's ok. You didn't do anything wrong. I was _laughing_, ok?" I was suddenly aware of exactly how closely I was holding her. Her back was mostly to me, with my arms around her waist and ribs, but she had twisted enough that our faces were only inches apart. I couldn't breathe when her eyes suddenly darkened and she looked down at my lips before glancing back up at me.

I could practically feel the lust swirling between us, but there was also something deeper, purer, something like the love I felt for her. She leaned closer to me and I was lost. I leaned my head down enough to touch my lips to hers, still giving her a chance to pull away, but she pressed herself to me with a groan. I spun her around and tightened my arms around her, holding her tightly to my body as I tasted her delicious mouth for only the second time.

She growled as her tongue met mine, and I answered with a deeper growl of my own. All my previous thoughts of taking things slow and holding myself back were flying straight out the window. I had my mate in my arms and she was oh so willing, and so damn responsive, and my body was responding all on its own.

Breaking from her mouth, I moved my lips down her neck as she panted for unneeded breath. My hips were moving of their own volition, grinding my painfully swollen cock into the heat of her body. "Oh, oh- Garrett!" she threw her head back and moaned as her hands roamed my body, tracing over my scars that were bared above my waist. I was immensely grateful that I hadn't thrown on a shirt after my shower, as her gentle touch was soothing the ancient wounds and breathing new life into me.

My hands moved up from her hips to slip under the edge of her t-shirt and I captured her mouth once more. As soon as my fingers brushed the bare skin of her ribs, she locked up tight. I should have expected it, but I was too far gone to pull away immediately. I moved my hands back to her waist, above her clothing, and used an immense amount of self-control to push my hips away from hers. I kept my eyes closed as I lowered my forehead to press against hers as I tried to calm my breathing and bring my body back into submission.

"Just, just give me- give me a minute, sweet girl," I panted out between breaths. "I'm trying. It's just gonna take some time."

It took me almost a full minute to slow my breathing and just before I opened my eyes, I felt Bella's hand tentatively moving on my back. She wasn't groping and searching as she was before, instead, she was rubbing soothing circles to help calm me. My eyes met her still-dark lust- and thirst-blackened ones, but the look she gave me wasn't filled with panic or revulsion as I had expected. In fact, she looked almost... remorseful?

As my head cleared, I realized exactly what had almost happened and I was horrified with myself. I stepped back, my hands dropping to my side, as I hung my head in shame. How could I have taken advantage of her like that? She would never be able to trust me now.

Before I could beg her forgiveness, the front door banged open and Peter walked in, followed by Charlotte, who must have escaped sometime during our intense display. As always, Peter knew just what to say, "So, did I miss anything?"


	10. Put Out the Flames

**_AN: Check it out- two chapters in one week! Don't get used to it ;)  
As for the chapter itself... well, you'll see..._**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Chapter 10- Put Out the Flames_**

**Bella POV  
**My emotions were swirling so fast I couldn't keep track of them. I was so deliriously happy while Garrett was kissing me, but as soon as his hands touched my body, that stupid warning in my brain kicked in and asked me what the hell I was doing. I tried to push it down, but Garrett had already noticed and was pulling away from me.

I watched him struggle so hard to control himself and was struck again by how much he put my feelings above his own. He was in pain, I knew it, but he worked so hard not to push me even a little bit. I couldn't do anything but stare at him in awe as I breathed in his delicious scent.

His face was so close to mine, like he couldn't bear to break contact with me completely, and I knew just how he was feeling. I didn't _want_ to be away from him. I wanted to pick right up where we stopped, but I realized we probably needed to take things slowly. Needing to give him some kind of comfort, I reached up to place my hands on his back, where I rubbed gently. I marveled again at the texture of his scars, knowing how much pain they must have caused him, and wishing I could take that pain from him completely.

I felt so bad that now I was the one causing him pain, _again_. How many times would he put up with my fluctuating desires before he gives up? I couldn't bear to lose him now, not when I was finally beginning to see a future with him. I wanted to apologize but I couldn't find the words, and then suddenly he was staring at me.

We didn't move for a few seconds, and then I watched as he came to some realization and stepped away from me, closing in on himself and hanging his head down where he almost looked... ashamed? What does he have to be ashamed of? I'm the one who keeps throwing myself at him and then cutting him off.

I wanted to reach for him and find some way to fix this, but Peter walked in and completely ruined the moment even more than it was already ruined. I could feel my rage building and a red haze started to fill my vision when Peter flippantly called out in his lazy drawl, "So, did I miss anything?"

Slipping past my mate, I spun around with a loud roar and jumped toward Peter. I didn't even know what I was trying to do, and every bit of technique I had learned went straight out the window as I charged him. My anger went even higher when the prick didn't even move, he just stepped one foot slightly forward as he crouched down a bit.

I was gonna wipe that smirk off his face if it was the last thing I did. Aiming for his neck, I came within inches of my target before I found myself on my stomach with Peter above me, holding my hands back as my feet continued to kick the floor.

I tried to tell myself not to panic, but it was no use. Once again I was at the mercy of a larger male and I couldn't do anything to stop him. If my heart was still beating, it would have been absolutely pounding. I let out a whimper as I prepared to beg, when suddenly I was free.

Rolling to my feet, I saw Garrett holding Peter in a headlock, snarling in his ear. Peter had his hands out in submission, but I could tell by his jet-black eyes that Garrett was too far gone to see reason. I couldn't even laugh about the irony of a newborn being the reasonable one in the group, but I knew I needed to do something.

My rage was gone, replaced with pride in my mate, and probably a little more lust than I should have had at this time. My fear had disappeared as soon as I was no longer trapped, and I was grateful that Garrett knew just what I needed, even if he wasn't exactly in his right mind.

Walking over to the men, I slowly approached Garrett from the right. Reaching out carefully, I laid my hand on his arm, careful not to touch Peter as well. "Garrett? Thank you for helping me, but can you let Peter go now? I think Char kinda likes his head where it is," I spoke softly, keeping my eyes on his as I saw them finally begin to lighten.

He shook his head before dropping Peter and looking at me in shock. He backed away from both of us, actually tripping over the rug as he fell on the ground. I really didn't think vampires were capable of tripping and falling, accidentally at least.

Garrett had his hands fisted, one in his hair and the other on the ground where he sat. I wasn't sure if he was mad at me or not, so I didn't come any closer, and I saw Peter step over to Charlotte to reassure her that he was fine.

A loud growl from Garrett surprised us all, and he still wouldn't look anyone in the eye, "How many things can I fuck up in one day? I'm so sorry Bella, and Peter too, I don't even know what my problem is. My self-control is just disappearing and I have no idea what to do about it."

He wasn't making any sense. I walked up to him and started to reach out, but pulled my hand back at the last minute, not wanting to upset him even more. His eyes shot up to mine and he shook his head quickly, "No, Bella, please don't be afraid of me! I didn't mean to scare you, honest! I just-" he cut off with another growl and clenched his fists, looking away from me again.

What on earth? Was Garrett turning into a newborn now? I kneeled down in front of him, very slowly so I wouldn't spook him. Reaching out, I placed my hand over his tightly-clenched fist that was still resting on the floor. He looked up at me in shock when I started to softly rub my fingers over his, encouraging him to relax his hand.

"Garrett? You didn't scare me. I'm not sure why you think that. I was pissed as hell at Peter, and I know I didn't fight well, but then I got scared when he pinned me, it just all happened so fast. I'm glad you helped me, but I just didn't want you to hurt Peter is all, ok?" Glancing back at our two companions, who were trying to look like they weren't eavesdropping, I added quietly, "And for the record, I really liked that kiss. I didn't really want to stop, but it's probably good that we did. Maybe we can talk about it some more later?"

He nodded, finally reaching with his free hand to pull me closer to him. He wrapped his arm lightly around my shoulders and I leaned into his touch, enjoying the peace that came from his presence. This man was becoming more important to me every single day. I knew I was getting more comfortable with him, and I needed to tell him that, but I wasn't sure how to do it.

Once again, Peter attempted to get his head bitten off by interrupting us. Garrett and I both growled a the same time when he stepped into our line of view. He held his hands up and backed away a bit. "Hey, not looking for trouble here. I just brought Sugar a gift." He pulled a bag from the corner where I guess he dropped it coming into the house. "Char said you got the newspaper shit down, so it's time for the fun stuff."

I looked at him curiously as he pulled out a colorful book and a box of crayons, "Come on little baby, you're ready for preschool!"

**Garrett POV  
**I couldn't hold back my laughter when Bella's eyes lit up and she bounced right up to Peter for her prize. As much progress as she was making, there were still things every day that reminded me just how new she was to this life. Her ability to go from wanting to rip Peter's throat out, to taking a box of crayons from him was just one example of her mercurial emotions.

I sat quietly and watched as Charlotte helped Bella with her task, and she quickly got frustrated as the fragile wax colors broke easily in her hands. She let out an angry growl when the last crayon broke, but Peter just handed her a new box with a friendly smile.

Once again, I was grateful for Peter's presence in Bella's life. She has grown quite close to him, and making him her surrogate "sire" was probably the best thing I could have done. She told me a little about losing her father, and her friend Sam, who she viewed more as an older brother. The little she has shared about life with her mother led me to believe she was seriously lacking in authority figures during her human life.

Knowing Carlisle and Esme like I did, I'm sure they probably took Bella into their fold and treated her like a daughter. So that's another set of parents she lost abruptly as well. Taking directions from Peter and allowing Charlotte to help care for her really seemed to fill a void for my little mate.

By late afternoon, Bella was successfully holding a crayon about half the time, and we had all colored pictures at human speed to hang on our unused refrigerator. Bella stepped back and smiled at the cheerful additions to the kitchen and she leaned into my hand when I patted her shoulder.

We headed to town a little bit earlier than usual, as it had been almost two days since Bella's last hunt. She was doing well controlling her thirst as long as we kept her distracted, but her eyes were already pretty dark when we approached the outskirts of town.

Peter looked at her critically before he appeared to make a decision. "Ok, Sugar, I know I told you we would let you start hunting for yourself tonight, but I think you're a bit too thirsty for that just now. Wait here and I'll grab you something real quick, alright?"

She was swallowing venom almost frantically as she nodded, and Peter darted away into the shadows. Char and I stood close to her, and I was a bit surprised when she reached for my hand while we waited. I rubbed the back of her hand with my thumb and saw her relax a bit, even if her eyes stayed pitch black. We really should have fed her sooner.

Bella tensed beside me, and I realized a half-second too late what she was smelling. She was out of my hands and at the end of the alley before I took my first step. Char was right behind me, but the damage was already done. All we could do now was clean up and try to minimize exposure.

My beautiful little mate was crouched just inside the alley with a terrified man and woman pinned by the brick wall. Their legs had been broken and she was growling at them each time they moved, but the worst part was what she held in her arms.

There was not a single ounce of humanity or reason left in my sweet girl at that moment; her vampire nature was completely in control. I knew there was no way that my Bella would have ever done this by choice.

My mate was snarling, black-eyed and feral, and what she held in her arms was probably going to break her heart. From my viewpoint, all I could see was a pair of tiny legs, a bit of ruffled pink skirt, and two small dress shoes. She killed a child.

Char caught the small body when Bella carelessly tossed it aside, and carried it slowly away from the monster in front of her. My mate had grabbed the mother next, and her thirst seemed to be slowing as she sat back on her heels and drank more slowly from the woman who was very close to her same size.

I kept my eyes on her as I approached, not wanting to challenge her, but unwilling to leave the man alive any longer than necessary. He shouldn't have had to see that. Peter came running up at a fast human pace just as I stepped to the man's side, and Bella turned her glare on him as she clutched the mother closer to her body.

Moving quickly, I whispered an apology to the man as I snapped his neck. I knew none of us had the appetite to drain him after this display, but we didn't have a choice about killing him or leaving him alive. He had seen too much.

I felt Bella's shock the moment she came back to herself, and she scrambled back in horror, leaving the woman where she fell. "NO! No, no, no, no, no! What did I do? Why?" She covered her face with her bloody hands, streaking her hair with red as she curled up and started to cry.

Peter stepped around her, carrying the woman while I picked up the man. We would have to take the bodies out of the city so they wouldn't be found anytime soon. They were not our usual targets, and they would definitely be missed, but there was no plausible human explanation for the violence of their deaths.

We had explained to Bella that we tried to hunt from the lower scum of humanity. We targeted gang members, druggies, criminals, with an occasional terminally ill patient thrown in if Peter got a "feeling" about them. Of course, it hadn't always been that way, and we all had a debt of innocent life on our records, but we tried to protect Bella from the pain of those kind of kills.

It was truly an example of bad timing that this family happened to walk by just as the breeze blew their scent to my too-thirsty mate. She didn't have a chance of resisting the call of that clean, healthy blood. What made it worse was now that she had a taste, she knew exactly what she was passing up each time she saw a human child or healthy young adult. I could only hope her guilt would keep her committed to our choices in prey.

When Char and Pete had the bodies ready to move, I walked over to Bella to see if she was going to give me trouble about leaving. She hadn't moved from her spot on the dirty pavement, and I just reached down and scooped her into my arms. "Shh, little one. It will be ok. We'll get you through it, and keep moving."

My words only made her cry harder as she clutched my shirt in her dirty little hands. "Bella, I'm sorry, but we really have to get out of here now, ok? We need to get you cleaned up." She still didn't answer so I ran out of town, in the opposite direction from where Peter and Char went, in search of a stream to clean the worst of the blood from my mate.

By the time we reached the small creek, Bella wasn't responding to me at all. Her eyes were blank, fixed on nothing, and she didn't move as I gently washed her skin and hair. I scooped her up again and started back to the house, knowing our friends would take a while to dispose of the bodies as far from our cabin as they could go. We had to keep suspicion away from our area.

At the house, Bella walked in robotically, stripping her bloody clothes off as she went. I heard the shower come on and she stayed in there a long time, while I burned our clothes in the fire pit outside. I dressed while she was still in the bathroom, and sat on the couch waiting for her to come out.

She still looked more like a zombie than a vampire when she reappeared, but as she sat next to me, she started talking. "I just don't understand it. How can I be so conflicted? I am horrified by what just happened, what I just did, but a part of me doesn't see anything wrong with it. A part of me is _satisfied_, because damn, did that taste good. And what the hell kind of person can think that?"

She raised her eyes to me sadly, finally looking at me for the first time since she ran from me in the alley. "Garrett, I killed that family, but this voice inside me fucking _liked it_. What am I supposed to do with that?"


	11. Names

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 11- Names**

**Garrett POV  
**"Garrett, I killed that family, but this voice inside me fucking _liked it_. What am I supposed to do with that?"

Taking a deep breath, I hoped I could find the words to help Bella understand. "That voice? The one that thrives on blood and has no remorse, no accountability, no rational thought? That's your vampire nature- your inner beast, or demon, whatever you want to call it. That's the part of you that is born when the venom transforms you, and it's the part of you that you have to learn to control if you have any hope of living past your first year in this life.

"I know we told you why we hunt the humans we hunt. The one rule of our kind is to keep the secret. Humans must not find out that our kind exist, and we must avoid detection at all costs. You understand that, don't you?"

She nodded, but I could see she was still confused, and I would have to take things further to get through to her. "Look, let's go in the workshop and relax for a bit. I want you to concentrate on your human memories. Try to remember every person you loved, specific details about their faces, their personalities, their voices. You can tell me about them if you would like."

We settled into a comfortable silence, working quietly for the next few hours. Gradually, Bella began to open up to me, telling me about her grandmother who taught her to cook, spending summers with her father after her parents' divorce, and the few friends from school who made an impression on her. She didn't say anything about the Cullens or wolves, and I wasn't sure if it was because she didn't count them in the human category, or if she was having a hard time remembering good times with either group.

Taking a chance, I asked her if she missed any of the Cullens, if she had formed an attachment to any of them over the others. She didn't answer for a long time, focused shredding the small scrap of wood in her hands, but she finally nodded and whispered, "Emmett. I really did love him and I wish I could let him know I'm ok, without letting the others know. I wouldn't mind seeing him again, maybe challenging him to an arm-wrestling match." I don't think she was aware of the smile on her face, or the longing in her voice as she spoke of the largest Cullen.

I didn't expect Peter and Charlotte back anytime soon; they would be keeping an eye out for the investigation, to make sure our tracks were well-covered. The last thing we needed was to draw the attention of the Volturi. Even with just the four of us, our coven could be perceived as a threat, especially since three of us had extensive fighting experience. Our associations with Jasper and the Cullens wouldn't help us much either. Laying low was our best option.

Just before sunrise, I got a text from Peter telling me the reporters had picked up on the disappearance. Telling Bella to clean up her mess, I led her back into the house.

"Ok, now I want you to know that I'm not criticizing you, or telling you how you need to hunt, I just want you to see what happens when we don't keep our kills hidden like we usually do," I said, trying to keep my voice even and non-judgemental. It was a fine line I was walking, between a mate and a sire. Trying to pull rank on her or push my authority would probably send her running the opposite direction and make my job ten times harder. I needed to lead her to find her own conclusions and opinions.

She still looked confused, until I turned on the local news station and pictures of her victims filled the screen. Sucking in a startled gasp, she turned to me for an explanation. I let the news reporter do that for me.

_A local family is still missing, and foul play is suspected in their disappearance. Mike and Julie Porter, and their 8-year-old daughter, Abigail, were reported missing when their oldest daughter came home late last night. Amy, age 19, said her parents and younger sister were eating dinner in town, but should have been home by late evening. Their cell phones have been turned off, and there is no indication of their current whereabouts._

_The police are not commenting on blood that was found in an alley between the restaurant and the Porters' car, which was found untouched in a local parking garage. It is believed the blood may be connected to their disappearance, but there are no suspects at this time._

When Bella didn't say anything, I turned the screen off and took a deep breath. "I have lived here for more than three years, and in all that time not a single one of my kills has ever made the news. Not even your newborn feeding habits were enough to raise suspicion, except between rival gang members.

"By choosing victims that were quickly missed, and by damaging the bodies so their deaths could not be easily explained, you made things complicated for us. The police will be more vigilant, and there will be a huge investigation for months. We're going to end up having to move."

She still wasn't looking at me, but I could see the venom pooling in her eyes. "_Abigail,_" she finally whispered. I hated making her put a face and a name with her victims, but I had to do something to appeal to her remaining humanity. A vampire with no remorse was one that would be impossible to contain. She had to learn not to feed indiscriminately. I also wanted her to accept one of the unwritten rules- we don't feed on children.

When she dropped her head and began to cry, I came and wrapped my arm around her to offer her my comfort and support. "Oh, Garrett, she was just a child! Just a baby! I'm no better than he was, I'm just as much a monster. What have I done?"

I had no idea what she was referring to, but she continued to mumble as she sobbed in my arms, and I gave up trying to understand as I held her close. By the time she brought herself back under control, her shoulders were set in determination, and I knew my mate had come to a decision about her feeding habits. Without another word, we got to work.

When Peter and Charlotte came back, we already had most of the house packed up, or the stuff we planned to bring with us anyway. I was nervous about moving Bella while she was this young, but Peter had a house outside of Boise, Idaho that was about halfway between Forks and here. The road between the properties would have limited exposure to humans, and even less if we left at night.

Bella apologized profusely to Peter and Char, who gave her comforting hugs and told her it was to be expected, as long as she learned from her mistakes. Peter said the bodies would likely never be found, but if they were it would not be anytime soon.

Loading the truck, we piled in, with Peter driving, and Bella sitting in the back between me and Charlotte. We told her she would have to hold her breath when we instructed her to, and she swore she would do her best to control her instincts.

Luckily, we picked up a hitchhiker not too far from the Montana border, and Bella was able to satisfy her thirst before we had to stop for gas. Peter found an unattended gas station and we filled the car up without the temptation of human blood nearby.

The rest of the drive was uneventful, and we soon pulled to a modest brick home hidden in a protected forest area. They built it back in the 70's and updated it every decade or so, but it had been a while since they had been back. The clean up and remodeling would provide a nice distraction for Bella though.

We decide to clean a little before unloading the truck, and the rest of us worked at vampire speed while Bella moved a bit slower in a effort to control her strength. It didn't take long to rid the house of dust, and make a list of items we needed to fix or replace. We ripped the carpet out to reveal the original wood floors that we would eventually need to sand and stain.

After moving our personal belongings to our rooms, I went to the garage to set up my temporary workshop. I still had a few orders I needed to finish, and I was grateful they had survived the trip down here. If we planned to stay here for long, I would likely build a shed like the one we left behind.

"If you're good here, we'll run to town to pick up supplies," Peter spoke quietly to me while Bella and Charlotte chatted in the front yard. I had to smile when Char pulled my mate in for a hug, and Bella squeezed her tight without hesitating at all. She may have had some setbacks, but she really was making progress.

"Ok, thanks Pete. I'll help Bella run the borders and work on the house some more. I'm not sure she's ready to help me with the roof, but I'll find something to keep her busy while I replace those missing shingles." I didn't want to say it, but I was looking forward to spending some time alone with my mate. It was a long drive down here.

We said our goodbyes, and Bella stood close beside me as we watched them drive away. I set Bella to work clearing out the overgrown yard and bushes, as it was the easiest place to keep her where I could keep an eye on her while I was on the roof.

Jumping up carefully, I set to work replacing the worn and missing shingles on the roof. It was in decent shape considering, but it wouldn't hurt to put a metal roof on if we planned to stay very long.

Bella seemed to be enjoying her work, humming quietly as she weeded the flower beds and pushed the lawn mower through the tall grass. She told me stories of her human life, saying she never did much work outside, and that the house was more her domain. The more she talked, I realized my mate was a natural caretaker. Maybe there was something we could find for her to do for our coven that would make her feel useful as well.

By the time I had the roof patched, she had the yard looking quite nice. She beamed when I praised her work, and leaned over to give me an impromptu hug that warmed me deep inside. She startled me further when she leaned up to kiss me softly on the lips. It seemed so natural and effortless.

We moved into the house without speaking, until she pulled on my hand to get my attention. "Gar? I'm really sorry I killed that family. I didn't mean to, and I realize how much I risked with my behavior." Her apology took me off guard, but I was grateful she was taking responsibility for her actions.

"You don't have to apologize to me, sweet girl. You are still a newborn, and learning to control your instincts is all part of the process," I told her, leaning down to look her in the eye. "As long as you learned something, that's all I ask."

Hoping for the best, I pulled her onto my lap to hold her to me closely. We sat together for a few minutes in peaceful silence, until she raised her head to look at me. It seemed like she was debating something, and she raised her hand almost without noticing to run her hand through my hair, making me purr almost immediately.

I closed my eyes when she pressed her lips to mine, and groaned when I felt her soft tongue slip into my mouth, and her taste filled my senses. I rubbed her back softly, actually jumping a bit when she moved to straddle my lap without a moment's hesitation. I couldn't hold back a growl when I felt her hot center directly above my extremely neglected cock. She really was trying to kill me.

We stayed locked together for several wonderful minutes, not pushing for further intimacy, but not backing down either, until she pulled back and leaned her forehead against mine, smiling softly. "Well, that was nice. And I didn't panic at all! See, we're making progress, right?"

I didn't get a chance to answer her because we suddenly heard Peter and Char running full-speed for the house. We met them on the porch, and Peter's wide, panicked eyes put me instantly on guard. I pulled Bella behind me, grateful when she didn't argue, and waited for his news.

"They're right behind us, I knew I couldn't take them all, I needed your help, Gar. I'm so sorry." Pete's normal composure was long gone, and he was speaking rapidly, almost tripping over his words. Char had her eyes on the trees, but she was clinging to her mate for dear life.

"Who's coming, Pete?"

He looked so heartbroken that I almost wanted to comfort him somehow. This was not our normal Peter. "It's Jasper. He's got a big group with him, and his scent is all mixed up with-"

I would have recognized the petite woman who stepped through the trees even without Peter's identification. I'd seen her from a distance when I was fighting in the south, and Peter had described her to me clearly in the past as well. At least fifteen more large vampires were spread out behind her, some newborns and some older, but I didn't see Jasper anywhere. All I knew was I would do anything to protect my mate from-

"Maria."

**?POV  
**I was running full speed when I picked up on the first trail. It took me several tries to find my way to the cabin that still held a hint of Bella's human scent, and what must have been her new vampire one as well. I'd been watching the news for weeks, hoping for some hint of her location, and today it finally paid off.

The FBI had taken over the investigation, but the clues that had been released clearly pointed to vampire involvement. A newborn vampire was nearly impossible to completely contain, especially during the first few months. And Bella was clearly no exception.

I slowed as I ran into the yard, realizing there was no one home, and the freshest scents were at least a day old. Fuck! They already moved on. I still had no idea where she was, and now I was right back at square one.

With no other options, I returned to Forks to watch and wait.


	12. Worried and Weak

**_AN: Ok, this post puts me back at my normal 2-chapter cushion, so the next update may be a bit slower. Enjoy your weekend! And think about me when I'm sitting in 100+ heat tomorrow watching my daughter cheer her heart out in her first middle school football game. _**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 12- Worried and Weak**

**Bella POV**  
I couldn't hold back a growl when I heard the name of Jasper's sire. I peeked around Garrett's shoulder, earning myself a warning growl from my mate, and studied the small woman surrounded by some scary-looking vampires.

Maria was short, even shorter than me. She couldn't have been much more than five feet tall, and her clothing only served to emphasize her small frame. I was surprised to see that she wore very few scars, unlike my mate and the other vampires around. I knew she had been a warlord for centuries, but I guess she always had others do her dirty work for her.

Charlotte was shaking, and I wasn't sure if it was in fear or anger, but I reached my hand out to comfort her, so she wouldn't distract Peter and Garrett from the threat facing us. It was taking most of my concentration to hold my fear in check as we were largely outnumbered by these strange vampires.

"Captain, you are a very difficult man to find. But I'm sure you _know_ this, right?" She spoke with a slight Spanish accent, and her voice was low and sultry. I saw Peter shiver out of the corner of my eye, and that fact alone scared me more than anything else had so far. My mentor was afraid of this woman, and he wasn't afraid of anything.

"I apologize, _Señora_. I wasn't aware you were looking for me. I mean, you already have my brother back, what else could you possibly need?" Peter sounded like his normal cocky self, but there was a slight tremor in his voice when he spoke of Jasper.

Speaking of Jasper, I couldn't see him anywhere, and I was sure I would recognize him, even from my human memories. I knew he might not recognize me- my face had changed quite a bit after Jacob rearranged it for me. It was strange not knowing the person in the mirror sometimes.

"Don't get snippy with me, Captain. I didn't come here looking for trouble, but it would not be difficult to find some, _entiende_?" The malice in her voice was almost palpable, and I couldn't hold back a whimper as I pressed myself closer to Garrett's back, seeking his reassurance.

"Shh, little one. It's ok. No one wants to hurt you," he turned his head slightly to whisper in my ear. I pressed my face into his shoulder, trying to control my shaking.

"Oh! You have a newborn? How fun! I see by her lovely complexion that you aren't training her in our ways?" I didn't have to look to see the smirk on her face, and I felt the growl through Garrett's back as he sank a bit lower into his fighting stance. Whatever she saw in his face was enough to move her along.

"Ok, ok, I'm not interested in your baby, Patriot. My business is with my Captain," she continued speaking over the low murmur that suddenly rose from the vampires with her, and I wondered if my mate still had a reputation in the south.

"Now, as you said, I have your _brother_ with me. He still carried your scent when he showed up in my camp two years past, and I hope that means you are willing to take him off my hands now." As she spoke, there was movement behind her, and two vampires stepped forward with another hanging between them, limp and lifeless.

All I could see was a pile of dirty blonde hair, but the shocked gasps from Char and Peter assured me that this was indeed Jasper. Peter looked as if he was torn between standing his ground with his mate, and running forward to his brother. Maria must have seen his indecision, because she waved the vampires holding him off, and Jasper slumped to the ground, making no attempt to break his fall.

Charlotte couldn't hold back her pain as she looked around Peter, "What did you to do to him, you evil bitch?!"

Maria growled, stepping forward alone to kneel beside Jasper's slumped form. "Watch your tone, _niña._ I don't owe you anything. I am here for my Major, and him alone. The only reason the two of you still live is because he loves you. You know that's why I'm here as well. Now, can you mind your tongue while we discuss things civilly, or am I wasting my time?"

Garrett growled again as Peter took a large step toward Jasper, the heartbreak on his face unmistakable. "Please? Jas? Can I?" With a flick of her wrist, Maria cleared the yard as her guards melted into the trees out of sight. Peter never took his eyes from his brother until he was kneeling across from Maria, hand hovering over Jasper's face. "What's wrong with him?" he finally asked.

She tried to keep up her bravado, but a look of pain crossed her face as she looked down at the unmoving vampire that she sired so long ago. Her voice was softer, and it cracked slightly as if the words were painful crossing her lips, "Peter, I can't help him anymore. He-" she took a deep breath and raised her eyes to look at Peter. "Your brother, _mi hijo_, he no longer has the will to live."

**Garrett POV  
**Hearing Maria call Jasper her son sent a disgusted shiver down my spine. They had to be the most incestuous "family" I'd ever met. I only relaxed a fraction when it was clear that Maria was not here to attack. Her guard was just that, here for her protection, but I kept my eye on them as they lurked in the trees. While they weren't as good at hiding as they thought they were, at least they had enough sense to keep their distance from me and Peter.

Pete finally dropped his hand to pull Jasper onto his lap, and he let out a strangled cry as Jasper's head rolled back unresponsively. It was a shock to me, seeing the strong soldier laying there so vulnerable, as if he was a human whose heart had stopped beating. Peter lowered his head to press his face to Jasper's, "Jas? What have you done?"

No one moved for a minute or so, until Peter scooped his brother up in his arms, and flew into the house before anyone could blink. Maria followed them with her eyes, but made no effort to come closer to the house. After staring down the warlord, Char stepped carefully through the front door, never once turning her back on the other vampire.

Maria seemed to deflate with the Whitlocks out of sight, and I dropped my guard a bit further in response. Wanting to get the newcomers away from our home, I decided to engage her in conversation. "What's wrong with him?"

She seemed startled, like she had forgotten I was there, and that clued me in to the true level of her worry for her major. Whatever was going on had her thoroughly shaken. "I should have come sooner, I shouldn't have let him get so bad. I really thought I could fix it."

Motioning her closer, I stood against the wall of the house, with Bella pressed tightly to my back. I would feel better if she was out of sight, but I didn't trust her protection to anyone but myself in this situation.

Giving Maria time to gather her thoughts, I remained silent, rubbing one hand on Bella's hip in comfort, though whether I was comforting her or myself was a matter for debate. "I didn't expect to find you here, soldier. Or a newborn. I didn't think you were still in the business."

Smirking at her, I called up the long-buried persona that got me through the war and fixed my glare on her. "I have no need for territory, _Señorita._ I am still very much a solitary vampire. If I choose to sire someone, I have good reason. We'll leave things there." I could feel Bella's confusion, but there was no way in hell I was letting these fools know where my weak spot was. "Now, what happened to Jasper?"

Glaring at my disrespect, she finally leaned against the porch rail and turned her head to look toward the door where her former officers were. "He came to me over two years ago, and I thought he was finally coming home to me. He didn't say much, just that his bitch of a wife finally left him, all because of some human." Bella sucked in a startled breath, and I squeezed her hip firmly to keep her quiet. We didn't need to tip our hand yet.

"He settled back in, training the new recruits, but he refused to change anyone and he wouldn't hunt with me either. He actually didn't hunt much at all. During our first battle, I found out why." She closed her eyes and shivered, clearly remembering something she would rather forget.

"I was on the hill, overlooking the field, and the battle was going well. As soon as most of the newborns were destroyed, he just walked out on the field and stood there. Our soldiers were confused, and it took me too long to get to him once I realized what he was doing." She looked up at me with more pain that I thought she was capable of feeling, "They tore him to pieces, and he had a smile on his face the whole time. In all his years with me, he was never distraught enough to want to end his life."

Bella was sobbing now, unable to hold in her emotions, and I shook my head when Maria gave her a curious glance. "So I managed to get to him before he was burned, but it took weeks for him to heal after I pieced him back together, and he was furious with me when I fed him human blood.

"Once he was healed, I sat him down and told him if he was here to die, he could go somewhere else. I didn't spend all those years training him, just to throw him away. Not to mention, I would lose everything I had if word got out that my Major was destroyed. We finally came to an understanding. I stuck to his side during battle, knowing that he still cared for me enough to keep me safe, and therefore himself as well.

"Things were ok for about a year or so, but he kept trying to stop feeding, and he was having a hard time dealing with it. I knew I had to do something to keep him going, so I..." she broke off and actually looked embarrassed, "I began feeding him myself. I mean, I let him use my venom instead of blood."

Wow. That was completely not what I expected her to say. Bella stiffened behind me, and I knew what she was thinking of, but she remained quiet. I decided to speak up, "So, why are you bringing him to Peter now? And why wasn't he moving?"

Maria shivered again, and it looked like she would be crying if she could. Her voice was low and rough when she finally found the words to speak, "I think it's killing him. The venom. He started almost sleeping at times, then the times got longer and longer. He's been out now for over a week." She covered her face with her hands and shuddered, "I couldn't bear to see him this way, and I couldn't be the one to end him. The Captain and his mate are the only vampires alive that love him as much as I do, maybe even more, and I didn't know what else to do. If he can be saved, they are the only ones who can do it."

With that, she straightened up and took three steps off the porch. I knew she was leaving, but I still tensed up to protect my mate. She didn't say another word, just looked almost wistfully at the door, and took off through the trees at a run. Her soldiers followed her, making more noise than she did, but I didn't move until they were all well out of hearing range.

Bella's hand on my arm brought me back to the matter at hand, and I turned to face her. "Are you ok? Do you need a minute before we go in?"

She surprised me by reaching up and throwing her arms around my neck. "I was so scared, but I'm so glad you're ok. Can we go see Jasper now?"

Holding tightly to her hand, we walked slowly through the door, worried about what we would find inside. Peter had carried Jasper to his and Charlotte's bedroom, and was holding him on his lap, with Jasper's legs stretched across Charlotte as well. Pete barely glanced up as we came into the room, all his attention was focused on his sire.

"Did you hear what she said, Pete?" I asked, backing up slightly when Char growled quietly at our approach.

He nodded sadly, and I saw that his eyes were shiny with venom when he looked up at us. "Vampires don't sleep, Gar. There's something really wrong with him. Just look."

I looked to Charlotte for permission, and she apologized as she waved us forward. Bella stepped a bit in front of me, and leaned over to look at Jasper's face. I wondered if she recognized him, but her quiet sob confirmed that she did.

Neither of us could hold in our gasps when Peter reached to pull Jasper's eyelids up as carefully as if he was made of glass. His irises were startling and unfamiliar- not red, or black, or even gold like we were accustomed to. His gaze was unfocused and he made no indication that he could see any of us, or knew that we were there. I had never seen anything like it- Jasper's eyes were a strange cloud of metallic silver.


	13. Took Myself Down

**_AN: I was gonna give a more detailed warning, but I think I'll just let you read and hope you don't run away screaming. Trust me, ok? The only thing I will say is that Garrett is Bella's mate, end of story.  
Oh, and there is discussion of suicide, in case that's a trigger for anyone. Happy Labor Day!_**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 13- Took Myself Down**

**Bella POV  
**I wasn't sure what to think when Charlotte growled at us; it was almost like she was protecting her mate instead of her sire. And don't even get me started on Peter. I mean, I saw the pack together, they spent most of their time in the nude so I've seen male bonding, and that's not what this was. I looked at Garrett, but he was focused on Jasper, and I suddenly needed to see my old friend for myself.

Stepping close enough to see his face, I couldn't hold back my emotions as I took in his changed, but familiar features. His golden hair was limp and almost brittle looking, and his pale vampire skin looked more like chalk than marble. I had never been able to see his scars clearly with my human eyes, but they stood out even more on his sickly complexion than they normally would.

Garrett and I both gasped in shock when Peter pulled back Jasper's eyelids to reveal his vacant silver gaze. His pupils were not even visible, making me wonder if he could see at all. The last time I saw Jasper's eyes, they were black with thirst as he lunged for my throat. Now they were swirls of metallic silver that reminded me of mercury- fluid and reflective.

When Peter released his hold, Jasper's head rolled back again, completely boneless. Charlotte had eased up on her defensive stance, but she suddenly curled up, leaning on Jasper's thigh and Peter's waist, sobbing uncontrollably. Peter patted her once to comfort her, but soon returned his hand to Jasper's head, where he was smoothing back the blonde curls tenderly.

Garrett had tightened his arms around me without even thinking about it, and I found myself leaning into his embrace, enjoying the feel of his voice against my back as he spoke. "Do you think we're still safe here, Pete? Do you trust the bitch?"

Peter still didn't take his eyes from Jasper's face, but I thought he suddenly looked much older than he usually did. His face was tense and worried, with none of his typical good humor. "I don't know for sure Gar, but I don't think she would bring him here if she wanted to kill us all. For all her faults, she has always loved him in her own way. The only reason she let him leave with me all those years ago was because he was already working on trying to kill himself then." He sighed and finally raised his eyes to look at us, "She wants him with her, but she wants him alive more."

My heart went out to the only vampire here who knew me before my human life went completely to shit. Jasper and I hadn't spent a lot of time together- we weren't allowed to- but I remembered how we communicated with emotions, and the bond I felt with him because of that.

The fact that Jasper was suicidal struck a nerve with me, deep down inside. I never really had an opinion on the subject before my life with Jacob. I never understood how someone could be so miserable that they would decide that death was their only option. Once I spent a few months completely isolated, and tortured by the one person I loved, I suddenly found myself facing that same choice.

Six months after Sammy was killed, I was feeling worse than I normally did. I was exhausted all the time, and I couldn't keep any food down. I didn't realize what was happening until Jacob came to see me and told me that my scent had changed. He accused me of cheating on him, because there was no way he could have gotten me pregnant- I wasn't his imprint, after all.

I barely had time to register the fact that I was going to be a mother, before I no longer was. I truly thought that beating was going to be the end of me, but in the end it was only my child who died that day. I waited for Jacob to leave me alone, and started digging around for something to use. I had nothing in the kitchen, but that was no surprise. I wasn't given much in the way of food, so I didn't need much cook with.

There were no pills for me to take, not even an aspirin. He liked me feeling every cut and bruise, and tended to smile when I couldn't hold in my grimaces of pain. That day, however, my emotional pain was greatly overshadowing my physical pain.

I ended up in the bathroom where I broke apart my cheap disposable razor before I could change my mind. Blood still wasn't my favorite thing, and I wasn't sure I would be able to follow through before I passed out, but I had to try. Holding the small blade carefully in my right hand, I pressed it against the skin of my wrist and closed my eyes, pulling it quickly down my arm.

The smell registered before the pain did, but I managed to switch hands before the door burst open and I heard the one person I didn't want to hear. Jacob hadn't left as I thought, he was just running patrols when he smelled the fresh wave of blood and small cry of pain I couldn't hold in. He bandaged my wrist and kept me under guard until it was clear I wasn't going anywhere.

I felt like a failure when I couldn't free myself from the situation, but I listened to Jacob when he told me I didn't deserve the freedom of death. I needed to live with my guilt as my penance. Time went by and I didn't try to kill myself again until Jacob imprinted on that bitch from the Makah rez. He didn't tell her about his dirty little secret, and he started coming to me covered in her cheap perfume and pink lipstick, making me even more disgusted with him.

When it was clear that the imprint wasn't going to free me, I took my bed sheet and rigged a noose. Jared was the one to find me that time, and he cut me down and chewed me out saying Jake would take it out on him if something happened to me on his watch. I didn't try again, but I didn't have to wait long for Jacob to grant my wish. All it took was another missed period, and he finally snapped completely.

Trying to push away the dark thoughts of my past, things I hadn't even shared with Charlotte or my mate, I tried to think of what I wanted most during my darkest times. What one thing would have made a difference when I was so determined to end my life? Closing my eyes, I immediately pictured Garrett's easy smile and comforting voice. His endless patience with me, and soothing tenderness all combined to give me the one thing I didn't have before. Hope.

I looked down at Jasper, remembering how he told me that my emotions were very strong for a human, and how everything about me had been amplified with my change. I remembered the conversation we had before we left for Phoenix, when he told me that I was worth it. I focused on the feelings of hope, and the one I wasn't ready to name yet that might have been something close to love, the feelings that my mate brought out in me. Reaching out, I placed my hand on Jasper's arm, feeling the thick bands of scars, much worse than Peter and Garrett's combined, and I concentrated on sending him those feelings, and the hope he needed now.

At first, it didn't seem to make a difference, and then I felt Jasper's arm tense beneath my hand. Garrett pulled me back when Peter pulled Jasper closer, and the arm I was holding slowly moved up to touch Peter's face. I almost missed the quiet whisper that was just a soft breath, "Peter?" before Jasper buried his face against his chest, clinging more tightly than he seemed capable of.

I let out an embarrassed squeak when Peter pulled his sire up and kissed him deeply, his strong arms wrapped tightly around Jasper's back. I glanced at Charlotte, but she didn't seem bothered at all as she kept her hands on each of their shoulders.

Garrett leaned over and whispered to me softly, "Yeah, um, their relationship is a bit... um... different. I guess Char didn't tell you about it for whatever reason, probably because they weren't sure he was ever coming back. They call each other brothers, but it's not really the best term to describe them..."

I had to stifle a giggle at my mate's nervous twitching; it was clear he wasn't entirely comfortable with our friends' display. Personally, I thought it was pretty hot. Charlotte seemed to be in agreement with me as she smiled at me around their tight embrace. I thought of the almost worshipful tone she always used when describing her sire, and I would have bet the Cullens' last dollar that she didn't see him as a sibling either. I briefly wondered what Alice thought of the arrangement.

I turned my head a bit to whisper back to Garrett, "Should we leave?" My attention immediately went to his lips when I glanced up at him, and I suddenly wanted to get him out of the room and find some sort of privacy around here, despite the other vampires around us. His eyes were dark and smoldering, and his hands tightened on my waist as I turned in his arms, pressing my body closer to his. I needed his hands on me, I was desperately craving his touch, and I leaned up to press my lips to his.

Charlotte giggled, "Peter, honey? I think you need to give Jas a break. He's projecting." Garrett and I jumped apart, completely embarrassed, and I turned back to see Peter smirking at us as Jasper tucked his face against his neck.

A hint of embarrassment drifted over us, and that time I was able to recognize Jasper's influence. His voice was rough and hoarse as he spoke just above a whisper, "I'm sorry. I didn't realize we weren't alone." Peter's smile dropped as he glanced down worriedly; I knew that even without his gift Jasper should have been able to feel us right next to him. Just how bad off was he?

Peter finally moved him to the middle of the bed, and pulled him up to sit between him and Charlotte. Char leaned her head on Jasper's shoulder, and he leaned over to kiss her softly as well. When he raised his head, we could see that his eyes were a tiny bit clearer, but his pupils were still barely visible- more of a dark grey than black, and I wondered again at his eyesight.

"Garrett? Is that you? I can't.. um, I can't see that well right now. Who's with you?" I tensed slightly at Jasper's question; would he want to see me, or would I be an unwelcome reminder of his life with the Cullens?

Garrett squeezed me tight before leading me closer to the bed. Peter reached out and took my hand, but I wasn't sure if he was comforting me or warning me. I looked at Garrett to see if he would introduce me and he reached out to shake Jasper's hand. "Major, this is my mate, and she's only a few weeks old to this life, but you have actually met her before."

Jasper looked confused, but Garrett passed his hand to me, and I curled my fingers around his fragile-feeling scarred skin. I thought it was my imagination, but he felt colder than vampire temperature, and when I couldn't suppress my shiver, Charlotte nodded sadly.

"Jasper?" I spoke tentatively, even knowing that he wouldn't recognize my vampire voice or smell. "It's me, Bella."

His reaction was immediate and surprising, and brought the other three vampires in the room to full snarling, growling attention. Jasper pushed himself up and leaned over to grab my shoulders, pulling me in closer to his face. His hand went unerringly to my right wrist, where the scar from James was still raised and smooth, surrounded by Jacob's darker bite.

As Garrett tried to pull me back and Peter kept his hands on Jasper, I was locked in Jasper's slightly sharper silver stare. His eyes searched mine, looking for something familiar I'm sure, but I wasn't sure how much he would find. My hair and eyes were unchanged, apart from the coloring of course, but my face was more square than heart shaped, and my higher cheekbones and smaller nose were foreign to my human features.

"Bella? Is it really you?" the hopeful tone in Jasper's scratchy voice nearly broke my heart and I pulled away from Garrett enough that I could wrap my arms around Jasper's shoulders. He put his face to my neck and breathed deep, probably searching for something to connect me to my human scent, and he must have found it because he began to shake in my arms.

"Shh, Jas, it's me. I promise. Alice lied to you, to all of you, and I'm not sure why but I plan to ask her before I kill her. Unless you object, of course." I wasn't really going to take his opinion into consideration, but I thought I'd be polite since it was the first time we had spoken since my 18th birthday almost three years ago.

I rubbed his back gently, focusing on the affection that I realized I still held for him, and the joy I felt at his return. His shaking slowed and I felt a soft wave of love and gratitude, as he spoke to me in our silent language. He squeezed me once more and pulled back to look at Garrett over my shoulder.

"You changed her? She's your mate?" he asked, and I couldn't tell by his tone of voice if he was upset or pleased with that fact. I had assumed he would prefer me to be changed than dead, but maybe he held with Edward's views on my soul or some shit like that.

Garrett pushed Peter's hand away and tugged me back into his arms, and I realized that I had not flinched once in all the times he'd handled and touched me since Maria showed up. Even Jasper and Peter hadn't spooked me, despite their fierce growls and anger. "Yes, I found her just in time to save her. She was practically torn to bits by those mangy dogs Carlisle allied himself with. Her life was not easy after your family abandoned her."

The venom in my mate's voice caught me off guard, and the others on the bed looked equally surprised. Garrett was generally easy-going and hadn't held a grudge with anyone since I woke to this life, even with all the fighting we did and how many times Peter took us both down. He just let things roll of his back. This was different- he was not going to let the Cullens off that easy.

Jasper's eyes narrowed, showing the first sign that he was willing to fight, and his lip pulled back in a snarl as he answered, "My _family_ is in this room right now. Any other coven I have been aligned with in the past is no longer my concern. I was not respected or heard once in all my years with Carlisle, and leaving Bella behind was just the last straw. I argued and fought for her, but I was overruled and threatened because of my weak control. When I heard she was dead, I knew I no longer deserved to live. If I couldn't protect the one person who truly needed my protection, then I was a failure and a worthless vampire.

"So don't you go accusin' me, Garrett Williams, when you don't know the whole story. I love your mate, and a part of me died when I thought she was lost. If I had any idea she needed me, I would have been there in a human heartbeat. Now that I have her back, I can only try to make amends if she will let me." He turned to Peter and put his hand on his shoulder, like he was going to stand up. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to hunt. Bella, I can see what your diet is, but would you like to try hunting my way or have you even been given that choice?"

I glanced at Garrett, shocked to find him smiling after Jasper's impassioned speech, and Charlotte's eyes were shiny with venom as she gazed adoringly at her sire. Peter had his know-it-all smirk on his face, and I hoped for once I could knock it off. "Sure, Jasper, I'd love to hunt with you. Let's go."


	14. The Only Way

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 14- The Only Way**

_"Now I ain't sayin' it's right or it's wrong,  
But maybe it's the only way."  
-Martina McBride, Independence Day_

**Garrett POV  
**None of us moved as Bella helped Jasper to his feet and started out of the room. Peter and I must have regained our senses at the same time, because we crashed into each other just as we reached the door. "Damn it Peter, get out of my way! He can't take her out alone- he's not strong enough!"

"No! You get out of my way! He shouldn't be left alone with a newborn! She could turn on him and hurt him worse than he already is!" Peter shot back as he shoved me, "I just got him back, I can't lose him again!"

Charlotte whistled shrilly and we looked up to see her in the hallway with her arm around Jasper's waist. Bella supported him from the other side, and his strange silver eyes glimmered with humor at our predicament. Sighing in defeat, I let Peter walk out and I followed behind them.

I refused to feel guilty for not offering Bella a chance to hunt animals, but she had seemed so determined to forget the Cullens, that I didn't want to risk her wrath, or have an underfed newborn on my hands either. I told myself that if she had asked, I would have happily let her feed from Bambi, but she was content with our diet- until her recent slip, that is.

Our progress was slow, and Jasper was clearly weak as he walked at a human pace between the girls, chatting quietly and catching up on the past few years. Bella gave him a very broad overview of her time with the wolves, but I could feel flashes of anger and vengeance as Jasper couldn't quite keep hold of his gift.

Peter and I followed silently, but I could tell he was worried by the tense set of his shoulders, and the way his eyes darted around constantly. I really didn't think Maria was coming back, but if she could find us, then anyone could. I'd rather not meet the Cullens with Jasper out of commission, and Charlotte had been useless since he arrived.

Pulling back on Pete's arm, I put a little more distance between us and the group we were following. He look at me questioningly when I leaned over to ask him what had been bothering me for a while. "How do you do it?"

His brow furrowed in confusion, he responded, "How do I do what?"

Not quite comfortable with what I wanted to ask, I still forged ahead, "How can you share your mate like that? Don't you get jealous? I mean, I can't imagine Bella-" It seemed pointless for me to worry about something like that, when I still hadn't been with her myself, but I hadn't missed her arousal when Peter and Jasper were kissing earlier.

Peter threw his head back and laughed, not endearing him to me at all. Their odd situation had never bothered me before, it was just something I chose to ignore, and I tried not to visit when Jasper was there. It was just a part of who they were, and it wasn't until I had a mate of my own that I could appreciate the pull of a mate, and the jealousy and possessiveness that came along with it.

"No, I don't get jealous. If I did, I would probably be more put out with Char than with Jasper. He was mine first, and I was his. Finding Charlotte put a wedge between us at first, but she eventually accepted us both, and it just worked. I need them both, and I love them both. That's it." It was hard to mistake the look in eye as he gazed ahead at his mate and his sire. It was clearly something I would never understand.

We stopped when Charlotte propped Jasper against a tree and took off with Bella on her heels. Peter stayed behind while I followed at a distance, not wanting to disturb the girls' hunt. They moved silently through the trees, using hand signals to communicate and stalking their prey like the beautiful predators that they were.

Charlotte quickly grabbed a pair of deer and knocked them unconscious to take back to Jasper. I lost sight of Bella for a minute when she hopped up into the trees after a mountain lion. I had been hunting with the Cullens several times over the years, but I had never seen anything quite as sensual as my mate pouncing gracefully on the large cat.

The lion screamed in protest as Bella tackled it to the ground and began to drink. I had to hold back a laugh at the disgusted face she made, until she finally gave up and spit out the last mouthful. The cat was still struggling so she broke its neck to carry the leftovers back to Jasper as well.

I took the cat from her when she walked closer, and she immediately looked for a stream to wash her hands off. I couldn't help but chuckle as she shot dirty looks at the animal in my arms, and the ones Char was dragging behind her. "How can he eat that shit?" she finally asked. "It tastes like rusted dirt!"

Charlotte giggled, "I know, but it makes him feel better, so we don't try to argue with him anymore. It's about the only good thing he got from that bitch he was married to."

Bella was literally twitching with the desire to question Charlotte, I could almost see the questions in her eyes. She glanced at me and I nodded; they had never been shy about their involvement and I thought it was better she get her information firsthand. "Um, Charlotte?" she asked hesitantly. "Can I ask you about you and Peter's relationship with Jasper? I mean, I thought Alice was his mate."

Charlotte cut her off with a growl, and I barely managed not to answer her with one of my own, but I knew this was a touchy subject for her. "Look, that little pixie bitch was _never_ his mate, and we told him that over and over. Do you know why he came back to us the first time, less than a year after he left with Alice? He told us that she was disgusted by his scars. Can you imagine how it felt for him, an empath, to feel her revulsion every time he took his clothes off? She tore him down so she could mold him the way she wanted."

Bella was stunned and I had to nudge her to get her moving again so we could get Jasper fed. I watched as she processed what Char had told her, and I knew she was probably going over her memories of her time with the Cullens. "I can't believe her. Jasper is worth fifty of that bitch. She thinks she's better than everyone and she was always trying to dress me a certain way- I was her little Barbie doll. And Jasper," she snorted a laugh, something I was finding more adorable each time she did it.

Fuck, I'm losing my man card. She is sexy, not adorable. Sexy. Oh yeah, she's still talking... "Jasper was wearing corduroy pants and prissy little turtleneck sweaters. Come to think of it, she always wanted as much of his skin covered as possible. I know we were talking about scars after James bit me, and he had to roll his sleeves up so I could see some of his scars. It's was summertime! Why the hell was he wearing long sleeves? Fucking Alice. I'm serious, I'm gonna kill her."

I felt a twinge of fear at the idea of my mate fighting anyone, even that useless midget, but Char just laughed and sped up her run, "Get in line, Sugar. Get in line."

Peter was leaning against the tree with Jasper when we got back, and it was clear they hadn't been sitting idly while we hunted. Jasper perked up at the smell of the disgusting blood, and began to feed as soon as Char handed him the first deer. I was a bit surprised that he didn't have any issues with us all standing there watching him, but he just drank until they were both dry.

I walked over with the mountain lion and tossed it on his lap. "Here's Bella's leftovers, she wasn't too impressed."

Jas raised his eyebrow at her as he bit down, but she just shivered and pretended to gag. I wrapped my arms around her when she came to lean against my chest, enjoying having her close to me again. By the time he drained the cat, his eyes were a lighter champagne color instead of the typical Cullen gold, but he seemed healthier overall.

Bella tipped her head up and smiled at me, reaffirming my opinion that my mate was sexiest woman I had ever met. Her eyes were getting darker and her breathing hitched as she looked at my lips. I groaned when she ran tip of her tongue over her full bottom lip, and I couldn't hold back any more.

I leaned over to capture that lip with my teeth, biting down lightly before caressing it between my own. Her tongue sought mine out as I lifted her up and wrapped her legs around my waist, which seemed to be our favorite position. She started to grind herself against me, and I managed to squeak out a few words, "Wait- the others!"

Bella raised her head and glanced around. "They're gone," she whispered, right against my mouth. "I need you, Garrett. Please, I need you now!"

Through the haze of lust clouding my head, I found a sturdy tree to press her back against, before attacking her mouth fiercely. Her nails scratched my scalp as she pulled my head closer. I felt like every nerve in my body was alive, twitching in a rhythm like a human heartbeat. My instincts were screaming- I had to claim my mate.

My shirt disappeared as she shredded it, while she pulled hers off in one smooth movement. I froze in shock when her perfect breasts appeared- she still refused to wear a bra most of the time. I wrapped my left arm more firmly under her butt to support her, while my right hand moved of its own volition up to tentatively stroke one soft pink nipple. "_Beautiful, just beautiful,_" I breathed softly.

"Garrett," she whined, tipping her head back for a moment, before she leaned forward and took possession of my mouth again. She pressed her breast fully into my hand and I couldn't stop myself from massaging it and rolling the nipple through my fingers. Her head fell back against the tree again, and I took the opportunity to lean over and capture her other nipple between my lips. The taste of her skin was exquisite, and I knew I would never tire of her unique scent and flavor, only enhanced by her heady arousal.

She wiggled her hips and I worried for a moment that she wanted to stop. I was so far past the point of no return that I couldn't even see it anymore, and I honestly didn't know if I would be able to stop if she pushed me away. Relief flooded me when she reached for the button on my jeans, easily manoeuvering it out, followed carefully by the zipper. The only thing between us now was the thin, soft material of her yoga pants, so easily torn away in just seconds.

I set her down gently so I could ease her pants down, not wanting her to be left without any since she already destroyed my shirt. She kicked them off eagerly, and I took just a second longer to pull off my boots and toss my jeans the same way her pants went.

We stared at each other in silence for a moment, breathing heavily and growling softly. I flinched in surprise when she reached out and pushed me back, with her small hands on my chest. I fell flat on my back, and looked up at her in worry, but she quickly climbed on top of me and shimmied down so that her moist center was pressing directly on top of my aching cock. "Oh, Bella." This had to be a dream. Somehow, I must have fallen asleep and I was dreaming of finally taking my mate.

"You're not dreaming, sweetie. Now hold on tight." My eyes flew open just in time to see her raise up enough to sink straight down on me in one long stroke. "Oh, _fuck!_" she cried, while I couldn't hold in a roar of pure pleasure. There was nothing that compared to finally being one with my mate. I could die in that moment and be a happy man.

She smiled down at me as I raised my hands to grasp her hips, lifting her slowly up and down and enjoying the smooth, sensual movements of her perfect body. The frantic need had passed and we settled in to a steady pace of lifting and lowering, learning the rhythm that worked best for us. Finally, needing her closer, I pulled her down on my chest and raised my head to meet her beautiful lips. She was still on top, but I dominated the kiss, stroking her tongue in time with my thrusts up into her body.

She pulled away and rested her forehead on mine, looking straight into my eyes and I couldn't have stopped the words if I had tried. "Bella, I love you, sweet girl. I love you so much." My rhythm stuttered a minute as I panicked about her reaction, but she just leaned over and pressed her lips lightly to mine once more.

Her eyes darkened and I felt her walls tighten even more as I reached to press my thumb against her clit, rubbing furiously in hopes that I wouldn't climax before she did. She screamed my name as my orgasm exploded out of me, and it took me a few seconds to realize I had pulled her down and sunk my teeth into her neck. I barely registered the taste of her venom- it really was as good as they said- before I pulled back and licked the wound to seal it.

"I'm so sorry, little one. I didn't mean to do that without asking you first. I-" her soft hand came up to cover my mouth and I looked into her bright eyes that now had a faint orange tint to them. She was smiling bigger than I had ever seen, and she leaned over to brush my hair out of my face and place a kiss on my forehead.

"Shh, Gar. It's ok. I think you owed me, I'm just glad you didn't suck me dry like I tried to do with you," she giggled. Giggled! She was laughing and looked so relaxed and... in love? Her next words had me stiffening in her again almost instantly. "And Garrett? I love you too. Thank you for being so patient with me. I'm really glad you found me."

We snuggled together again, just enjoying being connected, until Peter's voice rang out through the trees, "_Oh, fuck yeah! Major!"_

I immediately panicked when I realized what just happened. Jasper must have been projecting again. What if she really wasn't ready yet? What if she hates me now? What if-

"Shh, sweetie. Don't worry. I knew what Jasper was doing- I actually asked him to do it. I've been wanting you for a while now, but I was afraid I would freeze up or back out again. I just needed a little nudge in the right direction, and a bit of confidence. I hope you're not mad at me," I relaxed a little with each word she said, and couldn't find any part of me that was angry over Jasper's interference.

"No, sweet girl, I could never be mad at you. I love you so much and I'm so grateful that you trusted me with this, with your precious body, and especially your heart. I will treasure you for the rest of eternity," I pulled her down for one more kiss, before making myself lift her off of me so we could stand to dress. "Now let's get out of here before they catch us. I think we can find somewhere more secluded to continue this little activity. Unless you're tired of me already?"

She giggled again, the sound of windchimes ringing out, and leaned into my embrace. Everywhere our skin was connected, I felt warm currents of electricity. This truly was heaven.

* * *

**_AN: Happy chapter, yes? ;)_**

**_I just wanted to let you know I posted a new Bella/Jasper story that's yet again the complete opposite of this story. I'm a bit of a bipolar writer I think. Anyway, check it out and let me know what you think. I've got about 8 chapters written (2 posted so far) and I think it will take you at least 4 to get into the story well enough to form an opinion. It's called Golden Child._**


	15. Drinkin' Again

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 15- Drinkin' Again**

_"She tried to pretend he wasn't drinkin' again"  
-Martina McBride, Independence Day_

**Bella POV  
**After rounds two and three near a small lake we found, Garrett finally convinced me to go back to the house and clean up a bit before the others got back. I didn't really see the point, it's not like they didn't know what we were doing; they were doing the same thing! I was sure Peter would be smiling for a week based on what we heard.

Our good mood lasted only until the rest of our coven returned to the house. We went outside to meet them when Peter ran in carrying Jasper in his arms. Jasper's eyes were closed, but he was holding on tight to Peter, so he wasn't completely unconscious again.

Peter ran straight in the house and laid Jasper on their bed again, before stepping back into Charlotte's embrace. Jasper curled up on his side, keeping his eyes closed, and I could see that his hands were trembling slightly as he clenched and un-clenched his fists. Peter winced as Charlotte ran her hand over a fresh bite mark on his neck.

I wasn't an empath, but even I could tell these three weren't near as happy as they should be after all the loving they just finished up. Charlotte held tight to Peter, shooting glares at Jasper every now and then. Peter finally gave in and let her clean the bite with her tongue, though he was gritting his teeth in pain the whole time.

Garrett pulled me back into his arms, and I leaned back for a minute just enjoying how well I fit there. We were like two pieces of puzzle, and I was going to have to find a copy of the Kama Sutra to see just how many ways we could fit together... "Bella, _please!_" Oops, I forgot about Jasper.

"What happened with you?" Garrett finally asked the million-dollar question. The other guys looked away, refusing to answer, but Jasper peeked up at us and I saw that his eyes were a pale silver again. Peter's bite mark suddenly made sense.

"Jasper damn near sucked him dry," Charlotte spat out angrily, glaring at her sire as he trembled on the bed.

Peter laid his hand on her shoulder and shook his head. "It wasn't that bad, he just caught me off guard is all. He didn't get more than a few pulls before I pushed him off. Boy was shaking like a damn heroin addict."

Jasper groaned and we felt another light wave of embarrassment that he couldn't rein in. "I'm sorry, Pete. I just _need _it."

Garrett and I exchanged a worried glance, but Charlotte spoke up before we could question them further. "Look, my _mate_ needs to hunt. Can the two of you watch Jasper?"

As soon as she spoke, my throat flared in protest. It had been more thirty-six hours since my last meal, not counting that disgusting mountain lion. Eww. Jasper groaned again, probably in response to my spike in bloodlust, but Garrett just hugged me and shook his head. "No, Bella needs to feed as well. We've worked up quite a thirst," he said, with a proud smirk.

I elbowed him in the ribs, probably harder than I should have based on how he flinched, but he just laughed as I hid my face against his chest. Damn, he just smells amazing. "Bella!" Right, that's gonna take some getting used to.

"Sorry, Jas!" I felt Garrett suddenly grip me tighter as he swayed a little on his feet. I knew he was trying to hide his own weakness, but with all three of our males basically out of commission, he didn't need to be downplaying his capabilities. "Look, um, Garrett really needs to hunt too. I kind of got carried away again when I bit him..."

I thought back to our most recent lovemaking, when I lost control of my instincts for a minute or two. I hadn't brought up the subject of my past with Jacob, but I knew I needed to let him know I wasn't sure if I could handle certain sexual positions without freaking out.

Sex with Jacob had never been pleasurable for me, and the main theme of those sessions was control and domination. As a wolf, he usually wanted to take me from behind, dominating me with his much-stronger body. On the rare occasions that he did choose to face me, he would pin me down, covering me completely so that I couldn't move and had difficulty breathing.

Based on my reactions during fight training, I wasn't sure I would be able to handle Garrett on top of me anytime soon. It had nothing to do with how much I trusted my mate- because I did, completely. It was more about the ingrained reactions I had developed over the past few years that still sometimes shaped the way I handled things.

Since I kind of tackled him and took over for our first time, the issue never really came up. Once we reached the lake where we cleaned up, Garrett picked me up and entered me right there in the water, so we were on equal ground once again.

Leaving the water, I decided to broach the subject and I was surprised by how well Garrett handled things. He told me he would never push me to do anything I wasn't comfortable with, and that I just needed to let him know if I ever felt the least bit of fear. When he went on to tell me that he wanted to show me how much he loved me and treasured me, I was completely lost.

I was shaking with nerves as he laid me back on the soft grass and proceeded to worship my body literally from head to toe. He covered me with soft caresses and kisses, slowly building my desire. By the time he looked up at me from between my legs, I was no longer shaking with nerves, but with need.

When his tongue reached out and tasted me where no one else ever had before, I was introduced to a whole new world of pleasure that I had been missing out on. He expertly worked my body with his hands and mouth, taking me to heights I had never been able to imagine. By the time he raised his head, I was not thinking of anything but getting him closer.

I didn't even flinch as he covered me with his long, lean body. My hands were everywhere, pulling him closer and closer. He was too tall for us to kiss easily once he entered me again, but I ended up clinging to him with my legs around his hips and my arms around his chest.

He literally filled me with his love and commitment as he roared his release, but I was already lost. It took him a minute or two to bring me back- my teeth were locked firmly in his neck once again. The taste of his venom in my mouth prolonged my orgasm, and my growing thirst had me greedily gulping down his sweet life-force. It was only when he started to collapse that I realized what I was doing and pulled away in horror.

He brushed off my apologies as usual, but agreed that we would need to hunt once the others returned. We just didn't expect them to return in the state we found them. Peter and Garrett were just weak, but Jasper was struggling with his apparent addiction.

After discussing things, we decided to run back to where Peter and Char had left the truck earlier, so we could conserve our energy. Jasper was upset about the situation, still not wanting to hunt humans, but there was no way we could leave him alone for anyone to find him in that condition. We told him he could stay in the truck, provided that he kept Peter's phone and called us if he felt anyone in the area.

Char hopped in the driver's seat, and Peter curled up with his head in her lap. Personally, I thought he was milking this for all it was worth, but Garrett and I suppressed our smiles as we slid into the backseat with Jasper.

The ride to town was quiet, and everyone seemed lost in their own thoughts. Garrett and I stayed glued together, unable to let go of one another for even a second. I leaned against his chest while he played with my hair, and I couldn't stop myself from watching Jasper out of the corner of my eye.

He was struggling, that was easy to see, but I wasn't sure what exactly we could do for him. His hands shook almost constantly, going from light tremors to full blown shaking as he clenched his jaw tightly. I wanted to distract him somehow, but the only thing I knew to talk about was his life since leaving the Cullens, and it didn't seem like he was ready for a deep conversation just yet.

Char parked the truck behind a row of warehouses and tossed Peter's phone over the seat to Jasper. Her eyes softened as she took in his troubled expression, and I could see her anger beginning to fade. "Are you sure you'll be ok, hon? We'll hurry back as quick as we can, but you call me if you sense anyone coming close, ok?"

Jasper looked away and nodded briefly, before looking back at Char with a soft smile, "I love you too, darlin'." Peter just squeezed his hand and nodded as he stepped out of the truck, and the two of them took off into the night.

With our friends gone, I started to panic as I remembered my last hunt. "Gar? What if I lose it again? You're weaker right now, I don't know if you can stop me! What if-"

Two strong arms tightened around me and two other weaker hands captured mine. Jasper's hands were shaking as he held mine, but he smiled and I felt his boost of confidence and assurance. "You'll be fine, sweet girl. I'll be right there with you, and Pete already told me where to take you. Even if you can't restrain yourself, there won't be any innocent blood spilled tonight," Garrett offered me his own assurance.

Taking a deep breath, I released Jasper and slid out of the truck behind my mate. We waved at Jasper as he laid down on the seat, and set off in the dark toward a run-down area not far from the warehouse we were parked behind.

I was relieved when Garrett led me to a small alleyway where three humans were grouped together. The sharp smell of chemicals permeated their blood, and I saw the flash of a needle as it was passed from one dirty hand to another. Garrett nodded toward the group, positioning himself between me and the street, and whispered for me to go ahead.

I moved without a thought, pouncing on the nearest warm body as I sought to soothe my aching thirst. I drained the first, a woman who wasn't much more than skin and bones, before turning to the next. As I reached for the man, I glanced back at my mate.

It was pure instinct; I pulled the man against my body and drug him closer to where Garrett was standing with pitch-black eyes. Pushing my arms out, I offered the human to my mate and backed away so he could feed. The love shining on his face sent a bolt of warmth straight through me, and I watched in awe as he fed, his eyes never once leaving mine.

I had completely forgotten about the third person, until Garrett stepped around me and scooped up the unconscious body that hadn't yet noticed the predators in its nest. Garrett held up his offering asking, "Will you share with me?"

My eyes widened in anticipation, and I nodded happily as I leaned over to bite into the sluggish vein in front of me. As soon as I latched on, Garrett leaned in and bit the other side. He looked so dangerous, in his black trench coat and military boots, staring at me across our shared meal in the dark alley. I couldn't hold back my shiver of desire.

As soon as the blood ran out, he dropped the body and stepped right in front of me. I craned my neck as he stretched to his full height, towering above me, and he reached out to support my back and surround me with his presence. I felt like my heart was beating again as he slowly leaned his face down toward mine, and he shocked me when his tongue peeked out to clean the stray drops of blood from my face before he pulled me up for a demanding kiss.

The sound of a siren from a few streets over broke the spell we were under, but Garrett never once dropped his intensity as he set me carefully on the ground. "We'll pick this up again later, ok?" he murmured. I felt the vibrations of his voice as I pressed my cheek to his solid chest, using his scent to try to clear my head.

He chuckled a bit at my dazed look when he tipped my chin up to press a soft kiss to my forehead, and once he cleaned up the bodies, we walked back to the truck hand-in-hand.

It wasn't until Jasper asked me how it went that I realized I hadn't had any issues in the city at all. "I did it, Gar! I focused on you and I didn't freak out or lose myself to my bloodlust!" My mate hugged me close before helping me into the truck, and Jasper pulled me over for a hug of his own as well.

I didn't miss the low growl from Garrett, but Jasper probably got a better picture from the jealousy I was sure he was feeling. He passed me back across the seat, holding his shaking hands up in mock surrender to my taller, and older, mate.

"Easy, Garrett, she's all yours. I'm just grateful she's here at all, so I'm sorry if I can't hold my affection back when she's near." He looked down at me, safely wrapped in my mate's arms, and his voice softened a bit as he continued, "Bella, I know we were kept apart when you were human, and for good reason, I won't deny that, but I can't help but feel a kinship with you now. We were manipulated by the same vampires, kicked out of the same family, and I think we both have pasts we'd much rather forget. I hope you'll give me a chance to get to know you now; Pete and Char can't stop talking about you."

I knew I would be crying if I was still human, but Jasper's words meant a lot to me. I did feel connected to the heavily-scarred blonde, and it surprised me that I never once felt threatened by him since he had come back into my life. I understood him better now, and I knew in a way that he could understand me as well. I reached my hand out and covered his, trying not to focus on his cold tremors, "I'd like that, Jas. And I hope you'll let us help you as well. I know Peter and Charlotte are worried about you, and we just want you whole again."

He glanced away from my eyes at my words, and Garrett leaned over me to clap his hand on Jasper's shoulder. "She's right, Major. Maria brought you here for a reason, and I know it wasn't for you to die. Let us help you get well. If it makes my mate happy, she can be your friend as well. Just don't get any other ideas, ok?"

Jasper managed to smile at the slightly horrified tone in Garrett's voice, and I couldn't hold back my own laughter as Peter and Charlotte slipped into the truck. "Wanna let us in on the joke, Sugar?" Peter asked, looking well-fed and back to his old self again. He had kicked Char out of the driver's seat, pulling her close to his side instead.

I shook my head and glanced up at my mate, "Oh, Garrett's just worried about Jasper's intentions toward me. He was letting him know that we don't have an open relationship like you do."

Pete narrowed his eyes, looking between me and Jasper suspiciously. "That's right. We don't share either, so get your ass up here when you belong, Jas."

Charlotte smiled back at us as well, so I guess she was over her tiff with Jasper. She scooted over in the seat and he climbed across, rather than leave the truck. Once Jas was tucked between the Whitlocks, Peter started the truck and headed for home.

Garrett's hand was tracing circles on my thigh, and all I could think about was how to find some time alone with him once we got home. While Jasper's gift was undeniably useful, I wasn't sure that coven life was a good fit for newly-mated vampires. I loved my family, but I was definitely looking forward to some private times with my mate.

**~*ID*~**

**Emmett POV **_(props to everyone who guessed, there weren't very many of you)_  
"Look Rosie, I got a hit on Peter's card at a home store in Boise, Idaho. I pulled up his property records and found the address for his house there. I bet that's where they are," I looked at my mate with hope in my eyes, worried she was going to shoot me down again.

Rose wasn't happy when I told her what I learned from Alice about Bella becoming a vampire. She'd hated the little human who had captured my heart, but her biggest problem was jealousy over her humanity. She couldn't understand why a perfectly healthy girl would want to throw her life away for a vampire.

I was never sold on Bella and Eddie's relationship myself, but I wasn't opposed to my Bells joining the family. I fought hard when Alice told Edward and Carlisle that we had to leave for her safety, and I was devastated when she later announced that my baby sister died the same day Edward told her goodbye. If it wasn't for his eyes, I would have accused him of killing her himself.

Our family split up after that, and we had just come back together again when I stumbled on a conversation that changed my life. Edward was in the woods screaming at Alice about a vision she hadn't been able to hide from him. I caught the gist of it and realized that Bella had not died, but had instead been living all this time, until a vampire she wouldn't name had bitten her.

Edward and I stalked her for the next three days, not letting her out of our sight every time she spaced out in a vision. When the big one came, Edward collapsed in grief and then ran off to pout in silence while I threatened the truth from the meddling pixie. Knowing that Bella survived the change, I set off for Forks to try to track her down.

What I found in our old house was shocking to say the least. Several wolves had been around the place, including the couch where I found most of Bella's blood. The picture that was marked with Garrett's familiar scent gave me a starting place, but not much help. He was a nomad, and a very elusive one at that. I didn't have the slightest idea where to begin my search.

It took less than a day for the pack to find me, and things were tense until we got our stories across to each other. The one thing we agreed on was that we all loved Bella, and wanted to see her safe and happy. I explained the picture and note, telling them I knew the vampire who was apparently her mate, and that he was definitely capable of keeping her safe. I hesitated to tell them that his diet was different from my own, but I didn't want them attacking her if she showed up here with red eyes either.

They agreed not to attack, but said they would defend if she invaded La Push. I knew then that I needed to find her before she got here. My news-watching paid off, and after my little field trip to Montana I knew that Bella and Garrett were with Peter and Char as well. Garrett might be hard to track down, but Peter was sure to leave a paper trail.

Now that I had them, I just had to decide what to do about it. I really wanted to meet a newborn Bella...


	16. In the Way

**_AN: I'm giving this to you now, but the next update will probably take a while. Life is crazy here for the next couple of weeks. I'm sorry I haven't responded to reviews, but I really do appreciate each and every one. _**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 16- In the Way**

**Garrett POV  
**Jasper got more and more agitated the closer we got to the house. I could see him visibly shaking in front of us, and I started to wonder if we should have kept him in the backseat after all. I doubted he would be tempted by my or Bella's venom, and maybe he just needed some distance from Peter and Char.

By the time we reached the house, Jasper had bitten them both again, and we finally had to stop and move him to the truck bed where I drew the short straw and had to sit with him. It was too big of a risk to have Bella there with me, since she could easily leap from the vehicle if something caught her attention, so I was less than thrilled with the major by the time we pulled into the drive.

We stepped out of the truck and Peter reached into the back and pulled out a bag, looking a little nervous as he did so. "Jas, I know you don't want this, but if you can't get yourself in check, I'm not above force-feeding you." The black bag opened to reveal a cooler full of bagged blood, something he and Char apparently picked up in town.

Jasper recoiled from the little happy meals and scrunched his nose in disgust. He is one seriously fucked-up vampire if I do say so myself. Bella was frozen, eyes locked on the prize, and even though I knew she couldn't smell the blood, the sight alone was enough.

"You might want to put that somewhere safe, Pete," I said, giving him a significant glance toward my mate. He quickly zipped the bag and pulled it out of view. "Maybe Bella and I should take Jasper hunting again, so he can feed without the extra temptation the two of you pose."

Char visibly relaxed and nodded gratefully. I knew she loved Jas, but I didn't think either one of them were prepared to deal with him in this state. Not only did he have emotional issues to work through, he was clearly suffering from some sort of venom addiction. I wasn't even sure if they had AA for vampires. Or that would be VA I guess. Either way, it looked like his support group was sitting right here.

With that settled, Peter and Charlotte started unloading the supplies they had picked up earlier that never made it back to the house when they had to outrun Maria, and my mate and I led a very irritable Jasper into the woods to hunt. Waste of time really, since we just left town. Stupid squirrel muncher.

"I can go with Bella if you want to stay here, Garrett. Don't want you to do anything you feel _that_ disgruntled about..." Major smirked at me like the pussy he is. I immediately lunged and had him pinned in less than a second. Damn, he was seriously off his game.

"Garrett! What do you think you're doing?" Great, now my mate was sitting there looking at me like I kicked her puppy. Or tackled her veggie vamp, whatever. Same thing. I let the punk go and made a show of straightening my jacket, trying to recover my manly image. I knew how Bella felt about it, but Jasper completely ruined the effect by laughing his ass off.

"Let's go," I growled, turning for the woods and expecting my mate to join me. Instead, she grabbed Jasper's hand and started cooing at him about how thirsty he must be and how hard this all is for him, and did he need us to find him something to drink? Fuck that.

I stalked forward until we reached the clearing we stopped at before. I couldn't help but admire the tree I pushed my mate up against, and the dent I made in the ground when she knocked me over. Two incredibly soft arms suddenly wrapped around my waist and my mate's delicious little body was pressed tight against my back. "I really like it here," she whispered softly.

Letting out the breath I was holding, all my tension evaporated at once. Bella was mine, all mine, and Jasper was our friend. I had nothing to worry about. This is the kind of shit I was really good at- helping the damsels in distress and all. I couldn't hold back a chuckle at the thought and Bella squeezed me again in question.

"It's nothing. Let's get the boy fed so we can go home and break in those new sheets Char bought us. I feel bad that I've only had you in the dirt like a true nomad. I mean, I'm technically a respectable homeowner now..." I trailed off, worried that the reminder of our recent move might upset her, but she just nuzzled my back and shook her head a bit.

"It was perfect, Gar. I have a feeling my newborn strength could be a problem with human beds and walls. Outside might be our best bet for a while, until I have more control." I turned and pulled her into a proper hug as she continued a bit mischievously, "And I thought it was really hot. Being one with nature and all, it was very freeing. I don't exactly notice the surroundings when I have you naked in front of me anyway."

We followed Jasper as he hunted, keeping a respectable distance and making sure he wasn't attacked or didn't run off again. I felt almost like I had another newborn to babysit. I hoped we could get him over his issues soon; we could really use his help when we returned to Washington.

I probably should have been prepared for Jasper's reaction when he finished draining his kill, but despite recently comparing him to a newborn, he caught me completely unaware when he went immediately into fight mode. Of course, with Peter and Char out of reach, he wasn't in the mood to fuck, but Bella was instantly on guard when the little shit charged me.

"Little one, stay back please. I can handle him, and he needs to work this out. You remember how it is," I instructed my mate and goaded my opponent all at once. I've been fighting with the Major for half a century- I know how best to bait him.

As expected, he leaked a burst of anger and ran at me head-on. I easily blocked his hits and let him come at me again and again. When I finally had him pinned again, I saw the gleam in his eye and I just knew he was about to turn his gift on me. "Don't do it, Major! You take me out and you've got Bella coming after you, and you're not in any shape to take on an angry mated newborn."

He held my stare as I saw my little mate inching closer and closer to our position, looking more than a little worried. The only thing that bothered me was the fact that I wasn't sure who she was more worried about.

Just as I started to ease up on my hold and let him up, the prick gave me an evil little smirk and unleashed his gift. My muscles locked up involuntarily as he flooded me with fear and pain, but it only lasted a few seconds as I heard my mate screaming for him to stop.

I rolled to my feet ready to jump between them, only to see Jasper standing there staring at my mate in shock. He glanced at me before turning his attention back to the angry newborn staring him down. "How did you do that? I can't feel either one of you!"

Bella marched right up to him and pulled her fist back, punching him square in the jaw. I heard a loud crack and desperately hoped it was Jasper's face and not my mate's hand. He flew up in the air and backwards, landing about five feet away, flat on his back. He was clutching his face while my mate loosely shook her hand out, so I assumed he was the one hurt worse.

I followed her cautiously when she went to stand over him, "Did you feel that one, Major? Next time you might want to listen to Garrett. Next time I might not go so easy on you."

**Bella POV  
**I avoided Garrett's eyes as I walked back to our tree, massaging my hand to erase the sting- Jasper's face was fucking _hard! _But the further I walked, the anger I was feeling slowly drained away, and when I looked back to see Garrett picking Jasper up off the ground and helping him stand on his still-shaky legs, I felt absolutely horrible.

"It's ok, Bella. I deserved it. I shouldn't have tried that with Garrett. He did warn me," Jasper spoke quietly, looking at the ground, and something inside me just absolutely shattered. This was my friend- practically my brother- and what did I do to him? I fucking hit him, just like _he_ did. I hit him, not because I was defending my mate, or myself, but out of pure anger and spite. What the hell was wrong with me?

Running back, I threw myself at his feet and hugged his legs as tightly as I dared. I didn't want to accidentally hurt him even more, but I needed to express my all-consuming regret and remorse for my actions. He needed to understand that he did not _deserve _it. God, how I hated those words. Everything Jacob did to me he did because I _deserved_ it. My new and improved vampire brain was only just now coming to terms with the fact that I did not, in fact, deserve anything of the type.

"Jasper, no. No you didn't. You didn't deserve anything like that. It was all my fault. I'm a horrible person, Jas. I can't believe I hurt you like that- you're one of my closest, and oldest, friends. Please, Jas, can you please forgive me?" I finally worked up the courage to look up into his strange pale eyes and was surprised to see nothing but love and compassion, backed up by the emotions he sent me to confirm it.

"Bells," my breath caught at my old nickname, and I choked back a sob at the tsunami of feelings that washed over me at the simple word. He knelt down with me and firmly grasped my hands. "Bella, we truly are kindred spirits. Your emotions mirror my own, and it breaks my heart to know that you have felt the pain it takes to bring you to that point. If anything, I'm the one who needs to apologize to you. I should have protected you. I should have checked Alice's story and not taken her word for everything. You didn't deserve anything you went through."

I felt Garrett's arm wrap around me as he sat behind me, not pulling me away from Jasper, just supporting me with his love and presence. Jasper and I didn't speak for a few minutes, just hugged each other and swapped emotions back and forth. Everything he said reminded me of what Peter and Maria had said, though, and I knew we had some difficult things to discuss.

Finally, I pulled back and leaned against my mate. I waited for Jasper to look at me, and I took a deep breath. "Jas? Can I ask you something? You don't have to talk about it if it's too hard, but can you tell me about what happened after the Cullens left me?"

He sighed and looked down, but I kept hold of his hands and tried to focus on my encouragement. "Bells, you have to know that none of us wanted to leave you. I felt like I had to, because I had already proven that I was a threat to you. But it wasn't until Alice had some vision that she was able to convince Edward and Carlisle that it was the best thing for all of us if we left town. Emmett threw a fit, bigger than I had ever seen before, but he was overruled. Like me, nobody ever listened to him anyway.

"We went to Alaska and I was consumed by guilt, mine and everyone else's. The accusing emotions were practically suffocating me. Alice wouldn't touch me, even more than usual, it was like I had some disease or something. Then Edward left you and Alice said you died." His eyes met mine and he was pleading with me again, "Bella, you have to know that if we had any idea it wasn't true, we would have never left you! We didn't go back to Forks because we didn't know the details of your death, and if we would be wanted for questioning or anything like that. We couldn't risk the exposure."

He took a deep breath and I knew he was getting to the hard part. "Bella, you have to know I have never felt particularly worthy of anything. I did my job with Maria, not that it was worth doing, but I was good at it. When I let Peter and Charlotte escape, I truly thought I would die down there in the camps or on the battlefield. I gave up the only people I loved so that they could live, so at least I did something worthwhile.

"When Pete came back for me, things were good for a while. We traveled together, and while I struggled with my diet, it wasn't unbearable. Alice showed up at a low point, and that's probably the only reason I went with her. Peter told me not to, but I've never really listened to him that much," he smiled at little at his words, and I smiled back at him, while Garrett snorted in amusement.

"Life with the Cullens was pretty much one failure after another. Alice didn't treat me the way the other mated couples did. She was uncomfortable with my scars, and what they represented. Her love was forced, but I had convinced myself that it was what I deserved. It wasn't until I met you, Bella, that I felt true, unearned, unwarranted, unconditional love. You knew nothing about me, my past, or anything, but you loved me. You loved my whole family, even when we didn't deserve it. You truly changed the way I felt about myself. If someone like you could find me worthy of your love, then maybe I wasn't as much of a monster as I thought I was.

"When I thought you died, I felt like I killed you myself. The guilt was crushing me, and I honestly didn't feel like I could live with it anymore. I came to Peter, mostly because I couldn't stand my own company, but also because I wanted him to put me out of my misery." Garrett and I both gasped and looked at each other. There was no way that Peter knew that, he would have been absolutely crushed.

"There's no reason for Peter to know that, ok? If he doesn't _know_ it, then we don't need to tell him. Anyway, you know the rest. I left my family and went to my sire. That didn't work out at all the way I planned, but I think I am finally grateful that it didn't. I'm so glad to find you again, Bella, and get this second chance with you. I know you've been through hell these past few years, and I think maybe we can help each other work through things. With Gar, and Pete, and Char of course." The hope Jasper was projecting was enough to make me cry in relief, and I knew this was a big step toward his recovery.

I pulled my brother in for a hug, and knew my face would be wet with tears if it was possible. "That sounds good, Jas. That sounds real good."

**Garrett POV**  
I waited patiently while she held Jasper a few more moments, and then pulled away. I helped her to her feet, then reached a hand down to Jas, "I'm glad you two are talking and stuff, but am I the only one who has no idea what happened before? What were you asking Bella about- not feeling us or something?"

His eyes widened dramatically and he looked down at my bewildered mate. "I don't know what the hell happened, but I think Bella has a gift. Something blocked me when I turned my gift on you, and I know for a fact it wasn't you. I couldn't feel either of your emotions, so it has to be something Bella did."

It took me a minute to process what he was saying, but I remembered someone saying that Edward couldn't hear her thoughts, and now with her actively blocking Jasper, a feeling of dread began to pool in my gut. Gifted vampires were always sought after, but rare gifts were even more desired. If what Jasper was saying was true, my mate would be a hot commodity in the vampire community. Please, please, please let me be wrong.

"Are you saying that my mate is a shield?"


	17. Roll the Stone Away

**_AN: This is totally random but I read something on Facebook that I am having trouble believing. Tonight is homecoming at my kids' school, so it took me several extra minutes to get my daughter ready for school this morning. I had to pin on her homecoming mum, of course. But this thing I read said that homecoming mums are really just a Texas thing? I just can't imagine that! (Google it if you have no idea what I'm talking about) Anyway, here's the next chapter ;)_**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 17- Roll the Stone Away**

**Garrett POV  
**"Are you saying that my mate is a shield?"

Jasper's eyes mirrored my dread, while Bella looked at us in confusion. "I don't see any other explanation, Gar. It's the only thing that makes sense, and she's probably a pretty powerful one, since she could already block Edward when she was still human."

My mate's eyes darkened slightly at the mention of the Cullen boy, but otherwise she didn't react. "What's a shield? I mean, all I can picture is a big silver thing a knight would carry," she asked, her voice adorably bewildered.

I couldn't stop a smile as I pulled her into my arms and rocked her gently, more for my comfort than her own. Why couldn't we catch a break? Why did everything have to be so damn difficult?

With a sigh, I answered her carefully. "A shield is just a name for a type of vampire gift. They can come in various forms, but yours appears to be mental. It protects you from other gifts, like mind-reading, or Jasper's empathy. I don't think it's physical, or you would have managed to throw us off sometime during your fight training." Her eyes cleared a bit as my explanation sunk in. "Somehow, you managed to block me as well; you covered us from Jasper when we were fighting just now. With time you could probably learn to control it."

She looked up at me with slightly narrowed eyes, and it was clear she knew there was more to it than that. "So what's with the frowns? Isn't a gift a good thing? What's the problem?"

Jasper looked to me for permission and I nodded, not wanting to voice my fears with my mate safe in my arms. "Bells," he said, stepping a bit closer to where we were standing. "A gift in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing. It takes a while to learn to master it, and can be helpful in certain situations, but it also presents other problems.

"We'll need to take care not to share the news of your gift with anyone else, aside from Pete and Char of course. Shields are extremely rare, and I've never even heard of another mental shield before. It's something that would be highly sought-after by vampires around the world."

Bella looked between the two of us before shrugging and tossing her hair back. "I still don't see what the big deal is. We just keep to ourselves and it shouldn't be a problem, right? If, God forbid, we cross paths with the Cullens again, we'll just let Edward think I'm only immune to his gift. I'm sure the rest of you can guard your thoughts around him, right?"

There was no fear in her eyes, but I was sure she just didn't understand the gravity of the situation. Regardless of that, she made a good point. Worrying wasn't going to get us anywhere, and she didn't need anything else on her plate right now. I guess we'd cross that bridge when we got to it.

Turning back to Jasper, I remembered why we were in the woods to begin with. "Are you good now, or do you need to hunt again?"

I could tell he was honestly evaluating his level of thirst, and I appreciated that he was willing to put forth the effort. "I think I'm good, I just have that other craving, too..." he trailed off and we felt the quick flash of his embarrassment before he pulled his gift back under control.

Bella patted his shoulder in sympathy. "Believe me, Jas, I understand. That shit's good," she said with a mischievous wink my direction. I just rolled my eyes and pulled her back to me for another hug.

"I don't know what to tell you, Major, but maybe you need to take a step back from Pete and Char." I talked faster when he frowned at me, knowing he just thought I didn't approve of their relationship, "Look, all I'm saying is maybe Bella and I should be the ones to take you hunting- disgusting as it is- since you aren't tempted by our venom in that way."

Bella nodded her agreement, and he slumped a bit in defeat. "I know. It's just hard. I mean, it's always been that way with us, and old habits are hard to break. It was the same with Maria, but I know I can't carry on this way forever. I guess I just need to man up."

Satisfied that he wasn't going to attack our friends when we reached the house, we set out at a slow jog through the woods. Peter was pacing back and forth in the yard, and Charlotte sat tensely on the front porch when we came into view.

Jasper started to approach Peter, then stopped and crossed his arms, holding himself back. He opened his mouth but Peter interrupted him, "I _know_ what you're gonna say Jas, and you're right. We need to keep some distance so we can get you well. I also know all about Sugar's gift, and we'll work on that later. First though, we have a problem we need to address as a coven."

I felt a shock at his words; the only coven I ever belonged to was when I was fighting for my life in the south. After that, I had no desire to pledge myself to another vampire or group, and would have continued along my way if I hadn't found my mate.

Looking down at Bella's beautiful face, I realized again just how much this little woman changed my life. Whether this arrangement was temporary, to get her past her newborn phase, or if we were stuck with the Whitlocks for the rest of eternity, I would do whatever it took to make her happy. I couldn't resist leaning over to press a kiss to those delicious pouty lips.

Peter cleared his throat, and the serious expression on his face brought my attention fully back to the conversation. "Sorry, Pete. You were saying?"

Holding up his phone, he said, "I just got a text message. We need to decide how to respond."

Walking closer as a group, Jasper was the one who asked, "Who was the text from, Pete?"

Peter's eyes were glued straight to Bella's face. I was instantly on guard, placing both my arms around my mate, comforting her and preparing to restrain her if necessary. "It was from Emmett Cullen." She gasped and started shaking her head, but Peter continued speaking, "He said he knows where we are and he wants to come see you, Sugar. What do you want to do?"

**Bella POV**  
I felt like someone punched me in the gut (and believe me, I knew exactly how that felt); I just couldn't catch my breath. Emmett wanted me. He, a Cullen, wanted to see me. It was one thing for Jasper, who wasn't actually a Cullen, to say he missed me and cared about me and didn't want to leave. I even understood why he couldn't protest, since his actions were a catalyst in the decision.

But Emmett was Carlisle and Esme's son, Rose's mate, and Edward's brother. He was linked by their venom, and carried their name. And he _wanted_ me. I didn't know what to do. It was as if that word triggered something and I realized just how much I still longed for their acceptance.

Ar the same time, my anger flared up and I wanted to slap myself for even thinking of them like that after everything they put me through. Everything and everyone I lost on their account. If they had taken care of their responsibilities, Sammy would still be alive and he would have never let Jacob hurt me. Billy, Charlie, Embry, even little Collin and Brady, they would all still be walking this earth. Why the hell would I want anything to do with that family?

Garrett's voice finally broke through the fog in my mind and I realized I was struggling in his arms, snapping and snarling like an animal. "Shh, little one. It's ok, you'll be ok. None of us will make you do anything you don't want to do. I love you sweet girl, we love you, and we won't let anything hurt you," his soft, insistent murmurs in my ear had me relaxing back against his chest. His arms tightened around me in response and he pressed a kiss to his mark on my neck.

I took a deep breath and looked back at his concerned, familiar face. The love in his eyes took my breath away in a whole different way. Turning in his arms, I buried my face in his chest and sobbed out my frustration.

Garrett picked me up and muttered something about Jasper needing to get lost in the woods, then we were moving into the house. He didn't say another word as he climbed onto the bed in our room, and settled back against the headboard, situating me on his lap.

I finally stopped crying, but my mind was still racing a mile a minute. Did I hate the Cullens? I really did. Did I hate them all? Until Jasper explained things, I think I did. They all left me, they all called me family and then abandoned me without another thought. Now Jasper tells me that Emmett fought for me, wanted to stay, but of course no one takes the big goof seriously. I'm sure if he had tried to get away on his own he would have been thwarted by the all-seeing duo, not to mention he had to please his bitchy mate.

I knew I wasn't ready to see the rest of them, but if Emmett was on his own, maybe I could at least talk to him on the phone or something. Or have Garrett talk to him. I realized my mate was still holding me tightly in his arms, with one hand rubbing up and down my back helping me to relax.

When I lifted my head, his other hand reached up to tuck my wayward hair back behind my ears and he placed the softest of kisses on my forehead, reminding me of the moments before he changed me. He treated me with the utmost care from the very first second he laid eyes on me, and he has never once wavered in his devotion.

"You're so good to me," I murmured quietly, tucking my face into his neck, immersing myself in his comforting scent.

He didn't say anything for a few minutes, and when I raised my head to look at him questioningly, he finally answered. He averted his eyes and rubbed the back of his neck like he was embarrassed, then he finally said, "You're my mate." Like that would explain everything.

As I looked into his eyes and thought about his words, it just clicked. He's right. I'm his mate, and he is mine, and the feelings that I am just now growing into, he's had the whole time I've known him. He has seen me at my worst, both human and vampire, and he has stayed by my side through every single bit of it.

He looked startled when I turned to straddle his legs and placed my hands on either side of his face. Staring at those gorgeous rubies that were becoming so completely familiar to me, I made myself a promise. No matter what it took, I was going to do everything in my power to make this man the happiest vampire on earth. He truly deserved it.

"Garrett, I just want you to know how much I love you." Before he could answer, I leaned forward and pressed my lips to his, kissing him deeply and slowly, trying my best not to rush things, despite my newborn urges to pin him down and attack his body.

He seemed to understand my desire, and kept his hands soft and soothing, moving all over my body before finally reaching under my shirt, providing the peace that only his touch could give me. Love and serenity flowed from his skin to mine, and it felt like my venom was racing like blood in my veins, warming me with each careful touch.

I lifted his shirt off, ripping it in the process since it was already damaged from his fight with Jasper. When I whipped my own t-shirt off, he chuckled softly as his eyes went straight to my bare breasts. "You know you're going to have to wear a bra eventually, right?"

Wrinkling my nose, I shook my head in denial. "No, I don't. They're itchy and pokey and uncomfortable. I wouldn't even wear a shirt if it weren't for Pete and Char and Jasper living here."

His eyes widened almost comically and I felt his response as his pants twitched beneath me. He swallowed a mouthful of venom as his eyes darkened, and he pulled me back down for a kiss before he managed to speak, "I think we need to get our own place as soon as possible."

I laughed, causing me to rock forward a bit on his lap, and his groan was needy as he looked at me, pleading. Lifting one leg up, I knelt beside him, urging him to lift his hips as I unfastened his jeans. Once I slid them off, I had him sit back against the headboard where he was previously, and I stood next to him on the bed to pull off my pants.

"Do you even own underwear?" he ventured quietly, eyes roaming my body from head to toe. I just laughed as I straddled him, sitting back on his thighs so I could reach between us and get my hands on his rigid cock. His eyes rolled back as I stroked him slowly, carefully minding my strength so I didn't accidentally squeeze too hard.

It didn't take long for him to growl and then his hands were all over me, touching, stroking, before he finally slipped two fingers in to find me more than ready for him. Garrett raised his eyebrows at me in question and I nodded, raising up on my knees until I felt him pressing at my entrance. His hands held my hips as I slowly joined myself with my mate.

Our movements were slower, unhurried, and achingly tender as we moved our hips together in a beautiful, sensual dance. We stared at each other until Garrett leaned forward and kissed me softly, filling my senses with his delicious flavor. "Mmm, love you so much, so beautiful, so perfect, don't deserve an angel like you," Garrett's whispered mutterings caught my attention as he moved his lips to my neck and chest.

"Sweetie, you're wrong. I'm the one who doesn't deserve you. You're so perfect," I whispered, biting softly at his ear.

His head pulled back in shock and I giggled a bit at his owlish look. "Can you read my mind?" he whispered, almost fearfully.

At that, I couldn't hold back my laughter, which felt very interesting where our bodies were joined. Looking into those beautiful eyes, I shook my head and kissed him softly. "No, Garrett. But, sweetie, sometimes you don't have much a verbal filter. You sort of mumble whatever you're thinking about. You do it a lot when we're, uh, intimate." It was just one of the many adorable things I loved about my mate.

He looked completely nonplussed, but he narrowed his eyes and growled a bit when I giggled again. "Guess I'll just have to make sure my mouth is always busy then, won't I?" he said, as he captured my lips once again. Our rhythm sped a bit as we moved closer to orgasm, and I finally collapsed against his chest, completely sated and much more relaxed than I felt before.

Garrett held me tightly in his arms, his hands combing softly through my hair and ghosting over my skin for what seemed like hours. We heard the others return, and he still didn't urge me to move. Eventually I lifted my head, and it was my turn to wonder if he was the mind reader when he said, "You want to call him back, don't you?"

I just nodded, standing up and pulling my clothes back on. I didn't miss Garrett's proud smile when I made no effort to clean his scent from my skin. Boys. As soon as we entered the living room, Peter handed Garrett his phone. He looked at me apologetically, "No offense, Sugar, but I don't trust your control enough not to break my phone. I'd feel better if Garrett held it for you."

Knowing they would all hear the conversation anyway, I nodded for my mate to dial and watched as he put it on speakerphone. When the familiar, worried voice answered, it was all I could do to summon one very shaky word, "Emmy?"


	18. Some Folks Whispered

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 18- Some Folks Whispered**

**Garrett POV  
**I put my arm around her as her voice shook with emotion, "Emmy?" For a brief second I wished for Jasper's gift so I would know what exactly she was feeling- I was sure it wasn't just one simple emotion.

Emmett's normally boisterous voice came through the phone's speaker, soft and broken, "Bells? Oh, god, Bells, I'm so sorry! I should have never left you, I should have known something wasn't right! I just- I mean- shit, Bells! How are you now?"

Bella let out a strangled sound that was a half-sob, half-laugh. I raised my eyebrow at Jasper, wondering if he needed to help her out or not, but he looked almost as torn as she was. I realized he hadn't seen his former brother in years either. Charlotte must have thought of that too, because she moved over by him and let him pull her close.

"Em? I still can't believe it's you. It's been so long," her breathing began to speed up harshly and I knew she was getting angry, thinking about her memories. I squeezed her shoulder and pressed a kiss to her temple, trying to ease her tension a bit.

Sagging back against me, she looked up and gave me a grateful smile, and I couldn't stop myself from tasting her lips one more time. The phone was forgotten as she curled her fingers in my hair and pulled me closer to her level; she was such a short little thing.

"Bella? Are you there? Garrett? Is that you? What are you doing?" Emmett's voice was louder, as if we would suddenly lose our vampire hearing or something. Stupid fucker.

"Yeah, man, it's me. Sorry, I distracted my mate a bit there. You know how it is," I tried to keep my voice level, but felt my own anger rising at the thought of Carlisle's 'family.'

Bella elbowed me, a bit harder than I would have liked. She was doing well with controlling her strength overall, except when she was otherwise distracted. She still didn't speak though, and Emmett carried on with the conversation, "Yeah, I do know it! So you and Bells, huh? Never saw that one coming! You better be treating her right!"

Uh oh. Peter rolled his eyes and I slowly handed him the phone so Bella couldn't reach it. Pulling her into my arms, I made sure I was out of reach of her mouth in case she decided to get bitey again. The low growl she was putting out was more arousing than threatening, but I tamped down on my desire and focused on calming my mate.

"Treating me right? Who the hell do you think you are? Garrett is the best thing in my life, and he sure as hell treats me better than anyone in your family ever did! You have no right to talk to my mate like that- you have no say in my life anymore, Emmett Cullen. You gave that up when you walked away and left me to die!" Despite her rage, she was relatively composed, getting her thoughts across clearly and concisely.

I rubbed my hands on her arms as I eased my grip slightly, feeling a bit more confident that she wasn't going to show us her newborn temper this time, unless Emmett said something else to set her off. "Bella- Bells, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry for leaving you, and I didn't mean to insult your mate. I know Garrett's a good guy, and I really am happy for you. You deserve the best."

Wow. I couldn't tell if he was being genuine, or just sucking up because he knew I held all the cards. He knows first hand just how protective a vampire is when it comes to their mate, and he even knows what it's like to have a mate who was abused before her change. His best shot at reconnecting with Bella is through me.

Peter broke the tense silence by pretending to vomit- something he is quite familiar with, since he is constantly testing out human foods that he swears look palatable to vampires. For someone who "knows shit," sometimes he really doesn't know shit.

Bella giggled softly at his antics, and relaxed a bit more in my arms. I still didn't let go of her, since I had no idea what would be said next. Emmett sighed, and his voice was much warmer as he spoke, "It's good to hear you laugh, Bells. Did Garrett do something funny, or is Peter up to his usual tricks?"

Jasper rolled his eyes, and I could tell he was having a hard time remaining silent. Bella was definitely more at ease, leaving the worry to the rest of us. "Yeah, that was Pete." With her next breath, she shocked the hell out of us all, "So what has the rest of your family been up to lately?"

Emmett coughed in surprise, and we heard a brief scuffle as he apparently dropped his phone in shock. I glanced down at Bella as she smirked at the effect she had, and Jasper winked at her in support. "Well, um, Rose is here in Forks with me, of course. Carlisle and Esme are at their house in New Hampshire. They didn't want to leave Edward alone, and he, um, he wasn't ready to come back yet."

We all growled at the mention of that pussy boy, and I just hoped Emmett didn't notice there were five growls instead of four. I was pretty sure Jasper didn't want the Cullens to know where he was just now.

Bella's poker face was a sight to behold, and her voice didn't break, despite the pressure I knew she was feeling. I hugged her closer and buried my nose in her hair, hoping to soothe us both simultaneously. With a deep breath, and a glance at the Major, she asked, "And what about Jasper and Alice? Where are they now?"

Emmett sighed again, and there was a long pause as we waited for his answer. Jasper's hands were clenched tightly as he waited to see if his former coven-mate would lie about him, or if Emmett would take Alice's side. "Well, I haven't seen Jasper in more than two years, nearly three. He left the family not long after we moved away. I guess the emotions were getting too him or something- he told Alice he couldn't handle it anymore and he took off."

Jasper's rage hit us all, and the chorus of growls was louder this time. Once he got control of his gift again, he started pacing back and forth in front of the couch where Pete was sitting. It only took three passes before Peter reached out and tugged him down to sit, and Charlotte quickly joined them as he fisted his hands in his hair and ducked his head.

"What was that?" Emmett's voice came through the phone, nearly forgotten in the wake of Jasper's fury. Bella looked at me in question, and I glanced at Peter, who nodded.

"Well, Peter told us a story that was a little different from what you just said. He said Jasper was kicked out, and Alice filed for divorce. You know how Pete feels about him, and I guess you hit a nerve with that one. Maybe you need to double-check things with the magic 8 ball," I offered.

Emmett cleared his throat and drug his answer out almost reluctantly. I could have sworn he was trying to hide something. "Well, I can't exactly do that right now. Alice is... well, she's... gone."

Jasper's head shot up at the mention of his ex-wife, and his eyes narrowed in confusion. He mouthed, _Gone?_ silently and I nodded to let him know I would ask. Bella seemed to have lost the power of speech, probably due to the roller coaster of emotions the Major was putting out.

"What do you mean she's gone? I didn't think she liked to live apart from the rest of your coven," I asked, and Jasper nodded vigorously. To be honest, I didn't think she liked to be away from Edward- their gifts seemed almost co-dependent at times.

Emmett hesitated again, and I knew that there was definitely more that he wasn't telling us. With him being less than forthcoming, I was not thrilled about him coming to visit us any time soon. "Look, there's more I need to tell you, but I really don't feel right doing it over the phone. Can Rosie and I come visit? I really want to see Bella."

Glancing around at the tense faces of my coven-mates, I knew we needed some time to discuss this. "Let me talk to the others first, and we'll call you back, ok?"

He heaved another sigh and I could practically see him nodding sadly, "Yeah, ok. I get it. Bells, I really am sorry and I have missed you so much. Take care."

Her mouth opened and closed a few times, but before she could get anything out, the call was disconnected. She slumped back in my arms and I scooped her up to sit in the large armchair next to the couch. Peter put the phone back in his pocket, and we all fell into silent contemplation.

I still wasn't completely happy about my mate being in the same state, not to mention the same room as a Cullen. I didn't know what seeing their faces might do to her fragile psyche. And that didn't even cover Jasper. He would not only feel whatever their appearance did to him, he would feel Bella's reaction as well. With Peter, Char, and me all stepping in, it could quickly become an explosive situation.

"Jas?" Bella finally broke the silence, "What do you want to do?"

Immediately, he was up and pacing again, but no one stopped him this time. He obviously needed to do something to work out his emotions. Bella snuggled down into my chest and gave no indication that she would be moving any time soon. Pete and Char stayed on the couch, holding hands as they watched their sire.

After several minutes of silence, a physical change came over Jasper's features. His back was straighter, and his eyes darkened slightly as he looked between. He stood with his hands folded behind him, feet shoulder width apart- he was definitely closer to Maria's Major than he had been the whole time since he returned.

"Ok, first, Peter? Do you have any feelings about this? Or _know_ anything I need to be told?" Bella startled slightly at his brusque tone of voice, and sat up a bit straighter in my lap.

Peter had a frown on his face as he shook his head slightly. "No, Major. I've got nothing concrete. I don't feel like it's a problem for him to come here, and I think we need more information on the rest of his coven, especially your ex-wife. Knowledge is power and all that shit."

Jasper nodded in acknowledgement, rather than agreement, before turning to my mate. "Bella?"

She tucked her nose against my neck and took a deep breath, and slipped her little hand into mine. Her voice was hesitant, and I thought maybe she wasn't sure what exactly to do with this new version of Jasper. "Um, well, he's in Forks now, right?" At our nods she continued, "So he probably has information about the wolves. I mean, they had to know he's there, and if they haven't killed him yet, then they have probably talked at least once."

Bella turned and looked at me, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. I brought my thumb up to pull it out, and she smiled a bit as she kissed it gently. "Look, Garrett, you know as soon as you think I'm ready, I'm going back for Jacob. I can't let him live after everything he did to me. It's just not an option."

Charlotte growled quietly and I squeezed Bella tightly, hiding my face in her hair until I had control over myself. She brushed her hand over my shoulder, and her voice was stronger as she finished, "Any information Emmett can give us could help. They have to know I've been changed, if anyone went back to the house after we left. I need to know what Jacob thinks of that, and if Seth was punished for helping me, and anything else he can tell us. It just makes good sense."

Jasper nodded at her reasoning, and had a slight smile on his face, probably proud of my mate's strategic thinking at a time when her emotions were probably going haywire. "Ok, so do we need to vote, or can we agree that a short visit is probably in our best interest?"

I didn't want to make a habit of deferring to Jasper's leadership, but in this case he was clearly the one with the closest connections. I would just have to make sure he didn't overstep his bounds in other areas. Can't have him getting too big of a head.

After a rather short phone call between Peter and Emmett, it was decided that he would come down the next day. He agreed to leave Rose at a hotel in town, since we didn't want to overwhelm Bella, and we weren't sure how Emmett would react to seeing Jasper either.

We decided to hold off on taking Bella hunting- still trying to stretch her feeding times out a bit more. After spending the night alone in our room, holding her while she talked out her fears and insecurities, I took several hours to worship her body and try to convince her that all would be well, no matter what I had to do to ensure it.

Everyone was antsy the next morning, and Bella's eyes were slowly darkening so Peter pulled out a couple of bags of the donated blood, warming them and taunting Jasper before he handed them to me to feed Bella. She was highly embarrassed to be fed by hand like the newborn she was, but the little bags were simply too delicate for her to handle in the midst of a feeding frenzy. It took all my strength to keep her at bay until they were gone as it was.

By noon it was clear we needed a distraction, so Jasper tried his hand at fighting with my mate. She was completely at ease with him, in a way she never was with Peter, and she enjoyed sparring with the Major for several hours while the rest of us watched and gave her pointers.

Jasper was still much too weak, and his reflexes were slower than they needed to be. Peter and I exchanged a look after Bella pinned him for the third time in a row. We really were shit out of luck if we ran into a fight where we were outnumbered right now. Jas and Bella both still had a long way to go.

At the sound of footsteps approaching, we closed ranks around our most vulnerable members, with Peter and I taking point and Char standing close behind Bella and Jasper, who were clinging tightly to each other in nervous anticipation.

Emmett cleared the trees at a run, and all five of us growled in warning. I mean, I knew the big oaf wasn't the brightest of vampires, but I would have thought he would know how to approach a newborn. Dumbass.

Bella's hand was clenched tightly in my shirt and I heard the fabric start to tear as she shook with anger, or tension, I wasn't sure which it was. Emmett stopped suddenly in the middle of the yard, sniffing the air as his eyes widened in surprise.

He looked straight at Jasper, peeking between me and Peter, and said, "Jasper? What the hell, man? Have you been here the whole time? You fell completely off the grid- I couldn't track you at all!"

Looking back, Charlotte's growl probably should have tipped me off. If Char was that worked up, then Jasper and Bella were sure to be ten times worse. Jasper didn't have his gift under control, and Bella was still very much an unpredictable newborn. The situation was a powder keg and all we needed was a match.

Movement to my left had me instantly on guard, and Jasper stiffened and glanced the same direction. "It's Rosalie," he whispered, having sensed her with his gift. Great, just what we need. The queen bitch herself.

I cringed slightly as Bella's fingernails dug into the skin on my back- the pain just wasn't worth it if no one was naked. As if she heard my thoughts, her fist pulled away, taking the shredded remains of my shirt with her. Nothing like meeting your company half-dressed. I really liked that shirt, too.

Bella started around me, but I was ready for her and caught her tightly in my arms, twisting a bit to try and avoid her teeth. Our movements finally drew Emmett's attention, just as his pretentious mate reached his side and tossed her hair back over her shoulder with a disgusted look in our direction.

"Bella? Is that you? You look so... different," Emmett opened his mouth and stuck that big old foot right in there. I'm fairly certain Rose dropped him on his head when she was carrying him to Carlisle. He honestly can't have a fully-functioning vampire brain.

My mate snarled louder, working hard to get out of my arms, so I sat straight down on the ground and wrapped my legs over hers to pin them down, talking quietly to her the whole time in an attempt to soothe her. I was beginning to think that I was fighting a losing battle.

Something in their emotions must have alerted Jasper, because he sank into a crouch just as Rose opened her big mouth. "I don't know why she's so upset, this is exactly what she always wanted. She should be the happiest newborn vampire in the world- she finally talked someone into biting her. What's her problem anyway?"


	19. Some Folks Talked

**_AN: Damn, Rose sure pissed everybody off didn't she? I've never gotten so many reviews so fast and so passionate! Love it!  
Sorry for the delay, the chapter after this one was giving me fits and real life has been beyond insane here lately. _**

**_Oh, and if you haven't seen it yet, I am expanding my Sam/Bella one-shot now- Into the Woods, so check it out! -Cay_**

* * *

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 19- Some Folks Talked**

**Garrett POV  
**"What's her problem anyway?"

The sheer incredulity that filled me at her ignorant words was enough to loosen my grip, or that's the story I was going with anyway. The bigger part of me was not going to waste the opportunity that my unstable newborn mate was providing me with.

Bella nipped at my arm, barely breaking the skin, but it was enough for me to jerk back reflexively from her razor-sharp teeth, and she spun out of my arms and launched herself toward the two Cullens. Peter yelled for me to stop her, and he ran the same direction, jumping to pull Bella off Rosalie's back.

Time seemed to freeze as I was still too far away from my mate. I saw Rosalie's hand raised, Bella's head jerked backed violently, and then my ears were filled with the horrible metallic screeching of a vampire losing a limb. Peter blocked my line of sight and I couldn't tell what happened, or who was injured, or if my precious little mate was still in one piece.

When I finally reached them, Peter had grabbed Bella and once again, as soon as his arm was around her, trapping her hands at her sides, I flipped the fuck out. Nobody touches my mate and nobody restrains her, especially around strange, larger vampires that she hasn't seen since her change. I was gone.

Bella was still struggling with Rosalie and I smelled the sharp bite of foreign venom in the air, so I knew my mate was the one who had made purchase in the other vampire's perfect skin. Emmett hadn't interfered yet, but by the time I reached the girls, he was heading that way as well. Peter was right in the middle and was trying to avoid my mate's snapping teeth as she struggled in his arms.

I reached out and threw Peter about twenty feet away from the house, and kicked Emmett in the opposite direction. He was quite a bit larger so he didn't go quite as far. As soon as Bella was in my arms, I ran her around the back of the house where I could check her over thoroughly, away from prying eyes.

Once we were out of sight, she started struggling against me again, growling loudly and spitting venom. "Stop it!" I said, shaking her shoulders just enough to get her attention, and get her black eyes focused back on me, her mate.

She glared at me for a few seconds, baring her teeth in what I'm sure she thought was a very threatening gesture. It took every ounce of control I had not to smile at how cute she looked, my little demon sweetheart, until I glanced down and saw what she was holding, that is.

"Whose hand is that, Bella?" I asked, keeping my voice low and non-threatening. I had a pretty good idea, based on the bright red nail polish and huge gaudy ring, but I mostly wanted her to take responsibility for her actions.

Bella rolled her eyes and growled a little, "Who do you think it belongs to, Garrett? The bitch actually pulled my hair! She's what, seventy-something years old? And she pulled my fucking hair like we're on an elementary school playground? Fuck her! Emmett said she wasn't coming, so fuck him too. Maybe she'll think twice before she messes with me again."

I pulled her close and tucked her head under my chin when I knew I couldn't hold my smile back any longer. A few silent chuckles escaped my control, though, and she was suddenly yelling at me again, "It's not funny! She gives girl vampires a bad name! Pulling my hair, I aughtta..." Her irritated mumblings got lost in my laughter, which was suddenly echoed by the rest of our coven on the other side of the house.

I heard Peter tell Emmett that he taught Bella everything she knows, just before Rosalie's high-pitched screeching started up, whining about her hand. Jasper must have been controlling her up until then, to keep her quiet while we re-grouped. I hugged Bella tight for just a minute more before I pulled back, "Are you ready to talk to them calmly now?"

Again with the eye roll, I really thought she was past her teenage years when I bit her. If this is what happens when she's around the Cullen family, then they definitely need to move on. "Yeah, I guess. You might want to keep me away from her, or I'll pull off more than her hand next time!"

Rosalie's answering growl wasn't nearly as loud or impressive as my mate's. She is entirely too tame and untrained to be going around throwing insults at more "savage" vampires, as the Cullens like to call us normal human-drinkers.

We walked slowly around the side of the house, with me holding Bella's hand, and Bella holding Rose's. She tossed it up in the air a few times, amused when she "missed" it on the way back down. Rosalie was definitely going to need a new manicure when she finally got her hand back.

As soon as we came into view, Emmett stepped slowly in front of his mate to guard her- like he did such a good job of it earlier- but Bella barely glanced at them as she tossed the now-dirty hand over. Rose was whining about scars, which all of us scoffed at. I mean, really? In this company? But Jasper just spoke to her calmly, reminding her that if she used her own venom the scar would barely be noticeable. I was marginally impressed that she didn't cry out as her limb re-attached. At least she tried to keep some of her dignity.

Pete was glaring at me, and I remembered too late that he was the one responsible for Bella's training, not me. I just shrugged unapologetically and wrapped her in my arms to face off with our guests, both wanted and unwanted. "So, Rosie, this is unexpected," I politely let her know she was not welcome and irritated her by using Emmett's nickname for her all at the same time.

Rosalie, of course, was never short on words, "Well, I couldn't let Emmett come here alone- I know what kind of vampires you all are. It's clear you're teaching Bella your violent ways as well. She's, what, nearly two months old? And she's completely out of control! Carlisle would never-"

Bella and Jasper both cut off her tirade with menacing growls, but I could clearly see the hurt in my mate's eyes as well. Carlisle and Esme's abandonment was a very sore subject for her- that pain cut her deeply and I doubted if she would ever move past it.

When Bella spoke, her voice was stronger than I expected, and I wondered whether Jasper was boosting her confidence or not. "Well, it's a good thing Carlisle didn't change me then, isn't it? I would hate to be such a disappointment to the father who turned his back on me and left me for dead now, wouldn't I? Of course, I would love the chance to tell him just how many lives his peaceful ways have cost the people of Forks and La Push. I-"

Rose still hadn't learned to keep her mouth shut, and she interrupted my mate with more of her nonsense, "What are you talking about? Carlisle lives to preserve human life. He hasn't set foot in Washington since the day the family left."

To my surprise, Charlotte was the next to jump in. She got right in Emmett's face, "If you don't shut that woman up, I'll do it for you. My mate agreed to meet with _you_ and you gave your word that she would stay behind. If you haven't noticed, tensions are a bit high where your coven is concerned, and if Sugar has to step in again, I'll be right behind her. And you sure as hell don't want to mess with _me_."

Pete and Jasper doubled over in laughter when Emmett took several large steps backwards, pulling Rose along with him. He turned and gave his mate a hard glance, trying to look like he actually wore the pants in their relationship. I could tell by the look in her eyes that he would be paying for that later, "Rosie, I told you it wouldn't be safe for you here until I knew how Bella was doing. Why did you follow me?"

She held her glare for a few seconds more, before glancing around at our coven with something akin to wariness in her eyes. She leaned closer to her mate, as if that would keep the rest of us from hearing her words, "I was worried about you, Em. Even without knowing Jasper was here, you were heading off face three extremely dangerous vampires and an unpredictable newborn as well. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

She didn't apologize, but I figured that was the closest she would come to doing so. His eyes softened as he hugged her close, leaning over to whisper something softly in her ear. Jasper finally cleared his throat to get their attention again, "Rose, do you need to hunt? You lost quite a bit of venom, there."

Rosalie shook her head, probably worried about _what_ we wanted her to hunt, despite Jasper's obviously yellow eyes. "No, I'm fine for now. Thanks, Jas." She took a deep breath and offered him a small smile, "It's good to see you here. We really have been worried about you- Alice wouldn't tell us where you went, and Emmett couldn't find you anywhere. Where have you been all this time?"

Everyone had relaxed their positions slightly, and Char returned to Peter's side, standing between him and Jasper. I put my arm around Bella and pulled her close, as we seemed to have been forgotten for the moment. It was probably a good thing, hearing Jasper's story again might help calm her a bit.

Jasper sighed, looking down at the ground, probably debating how much to share with his former siblings. I doubted that he still held any trust for them anymore. "Look, you know I was bad off when we thought Bella had died," he paused and glanced at the two, waiting for their nods. They both looked at Bella as well, and Emmett offered her a small smile that she did not return.

"Yeah, so then Alice told me she wanted a divorce, she was 'appalled at my behavior,' and never wanted to see me again," Jasper continued, but I caught a strange look pass between Emmett and Rosalie at his last words, and wondered what that meant. "I came down to stay with Pete and Char for a little while, but they'll probably tell you I wasn't the best company at the time. I was pretty well fucked in the head. I- um- I didn't see many options left for me, so..." He paused again, and Peter squeezed his shoulder in support, urging him to finish. "So, I went back to Maria. I went back to my old life," he finished, his words barely a whisper.

Rosalie and Emmett sucked in sharp breaths, and shook their heads in disbelief. Living with Jasper for all that time, I was sure they knew as well as anyone how much he despised his life in the wars. They couldn't understand how he could willingly choose to return to his creator and the army that nearly destroyed him unless-

In a rare show of discernment, Rosalie made the connection and reached for her former twin in utter despair. "Oh, Jas, you didn't? You really wanted- you were going there to... die?"

Jasper cringed, either at her words or their emotions, and shuddered visibly as he tucked his head against Charlotte's neck. Emmett was staring at Jasper in shock, unable or unwilling to process what had been revealed. Bella finally stiffened in my arms and I tightened my grip as she turned her mouth on the Cullens.

"Yeah, what about it? You were there cozied up to the little pixie, listening to her every word like she was God or something. You wanna tell me she didn't see her _husband_ going off to _die_?" The Cullens shrank back at her words, but she was nowhere near finished yet.

"You think she didn't see me fall apart after your family left, or how the only person who could save me was a giant black wolf? You think she didn't see Laurent and Victoria kill off half the pack and every bit of family I had left? Or how about the second man I loved beating the crap out of me for two years, before literally ripping me to shreds so that the only thing that could save me was my mate's venom? You want me to believe she didn't see _any _of that while she was out there living her life, business as usual?" Her chest was heaving with unnecessary breath as she finally ran out of steam. I turned her in my arms and held her close, running my hands through her hair to try and soothe her battered feelings.

I growled a warning when Emmett took a step in our direction, and he stopped immediately and held his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry, Garrett. I won't come closer. Bells, please, I'm so sorry. I honestly don't know what you're talking about, but if Alice saw any of that she didn't tell anyone. I'm pretty sure Edward didn't see it in her head either, or he would have done something to intervene, I know it."

Bella cringed again at the mention of that little brat, but she made no effort to turn around and face her past. Jasper, however, looked up at Emmett with a piercing gaze that looked as if he was trying to actually see inside his mind. "Emmett, what has you feeling so much dread? Why are you so conflicted?"

Rose stepped up to her mate's side and they exchanged another loaded glance that had me convinced they were definitely hiding something. I turned my body to keep Bella from their view until I figured out what that something was. Peter's eyes widened and he grabbed Jasper's arm in either restraint or support. Clearly he now _knew_ what they were going to say as well.

"Jasper, Bella, I know it's probably hard for you to trust us right now, but you have to understand that Alice manipulated our lives as well. I still don't know what her ultimate agenda was, and I'm not sure if we'll ever know now, but I'm pretty sure she was only looking out for herself," Emmett spoke hesitantly, and Bella finally lifted her head to peer around me at the golden-eyed vampires.

"What do you mean, Emmett? Why won't we know? And what did you mean on the phone yesterday when you said that Alice was gone?" Leave it to my mate to get to the heart of the matter. Jasper's eyes narrowed as he looked between them, and I kept my eyes on my mate to gauge her reaction to whatever was coming.

Emmett sighed, and pulled Rose into his arms. "Look, the first time I heard your name from either Edward or Alice was July 4th of this year. I was hunting and came across an argument between the two of them, and realized from what they were saying that you were alive and had just been bitten. Eddie was shocked, to say the least, and more than a little pissed off as well.

"We followed her around until you woke from your change, and then Edward ran off to mope or whatever the hell he does, while I pulled the information from Alice and headed to Forks to try and track you down." He glanced down at Rose, and she nodded in encouragement, so he took a deep breath and continued, "Carlisle called me the next day to say that when Edward finally returned to the house, he was dirty and smelled like smoke. Like vampire smoke."

We all froze as his words sank in, wondering what he was getting at. Emmett didn't wait too long to finish, he just looked around the group before his eyes settled on Jasper, "Jas, Edward admitted that he tortured her for hours, and then he killed her. Look, man, I'm sorry, but Alice is dead."


	20. The Guilty Pay

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 20- The Guilty Pay**

**Bella POV  
**_Alice is dead._ The words kept repeating over and over in my mind on a continuous loop. I could hear them, but I was having trouble comprehending their meaning. They couldn't possibly mean what they sounded like, could they? The vampire who so royally fucked up my life, and Jasper's, and who knows who else's, couldn't possibly be... dead?

Garrett's arms held me tightly, giving me something tangible to cling to as my mind ran in circles of denial, confusion, and hope. I could hear his voice in my ear, telling me how much he loved me and how he would never leave me, and whatever else came into his head; his verbal filter was missing as usual.

Grabbing his hands, I looked up into his worried eyes and suddenly felt like I was drowning with all the vampires surrounding us. I didn't realize I was gasping for breath until he cupped my cheeks in his hands and breathed softly into my face. His familiar scent washed over me, calming me enough that I could get the words out, "I have to get out of here, _now!_"

His eyes darted between mine and then he glanced over my shoulder, conferring silently with Peter, I assumed. With a sharp nod, he scooped me into his arms and took off at a run toward town. I barely registered the movement, focusing entirely on the feel and scent of my mate. Against my instincts, I kept my eyes closed when he set me down on the ground, until the intoxicating scent of fresh blood overpowered my senses.

I bit down without a thought, gulping hungrily until my thirst was eased and my thoughts settled into relative order, rather than skating wildly through my mind with no rhyme or reason. I opened my eyes when Garrett pulled the body from my arms and put his hand on my cheek to tip my face up to meet his. "Hey sweet girl, you doing better now?" he asked softly.

Was I? I thought back to what just happened- I attacked Rosalie and ripped off her hand (and that was so much more fun than I expected it to be!). Then, after we both calmed down a bit, Emmett said that Edward killed Alice? What strange parallel dimension did I get transported to? There had to be some mistake. For one thing, Edward didn't have an aggressive bone in his scrawny little boy body. And even if he did, Alice was his dearest friend, his closest sister, and they were just so much alike.

"Garrett? I don't understand. Was Emmett lying?" I looked at my mate, knowing he would tell me the truth- he always told me the truth, and he would help me figure out what was going on.

Unfortunately, Garrett looked just as confused as I felt. Well, that was just great, wasn't it? "I don't know, little one, I don't think he was lying, but I don't know if what he believes is the truth is what actually happened. Does that make sense?"

No, sweetie, not really. I swear sometimes the man talks in circles just to irritate my newborn mind. Well, that's not helping me much, so maybe we should go back to the others and see what they have to say. Maybe I can rip some more pieces off of Vampire Barbie.

Garrett agreed, provided I was as close to sane as I could manage at the moment. I did thank him for taking me to feed. I probably could have waited a few more hours if it wasn't for the insanity that the Cullens brought with them, but Emmett's news just kind of put me over that proverbial edge.

Emmett. Seeing the huge vampire who always hugged me just a bit too tight, and loved to play video games with me and encourage my foul mouth brought back a ton of memories from my human life. The summer I was with Edward was spent largely in the company of the Cullens, either at their house or in the woods somewhere.

I really enjoyed the days when the whole family would go swimming, and I could watch them all sparkling in the muted Forks sunlight. Emmett would let me jump off his broad shoulders into the river behind their house, while Edward would pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration. It was times like those that he truly showed his age, reminding me of a crotchety old man, instead of the beautiful boy he looked like physically.

As we ran back to the house, I shared a few of those memories with Garrett, and he listened attentively, not even growling when I brought up Edward. By the time we could hear the others, I was much calmer and thinking quite rationally. And I needed answers.

Garrett held my hand as we stepped into the yard, surveying the scene, as it was. Peter and Charlotte were sitting on the front porch, though they both stood up and smiled at me when I came into view. Jasper was about ten feet in front of them, halfway between the Whitlocks and the Cullens. Or the Hatfields and McCoys, who they closely resembled, especially with Peter's gaudy belt buckle and dusty boots.

Rose tucked herself behind Emmett as soon as I came out, but the look on her face was very different from the one she was wearing just a few hours earlier. She looked almost... apologetic? I couldn't tell; it was obviously not a normal look for her. I wondered how badly Charlotte had laid into her while we were gone.

Emmett frowned at me, but it looked more sympathetic, rather than irritated because I pulled his mate's hand off. Then, genius that he is, he decided to speak first. "Bells, I'm so sorry. Jasper told us a little of what we missed, and I get the feeling it wasn't even the tip of the iceberg. Can you ever forgive me? Us?"

I squeezed Garrett's hand as calmly as possible, trying to convey the fact that I was in control, out of danger, and had no intention of dismembering anyone else at the present moment. He still gave me a skeptical look as I stepped away from him, and he shadowed me from a few feet back.

Walking right up to Emmett, I held back a giggle when Rosalie scuttled even further out of my reach, rubbing her recently healed wrist as she watched me with wide eyes. "Don't worry, Rose, I'm not gonna jump you again. If you keep your mouth shut, at least."

She nodded quickly, taking a few more steps to the side, which actually worked well in her favor for what I had planned. I didn't slow as I walked at a fast human pace straight up to Emmett. I stepped right up to his chest and looked up, a little startled to realize that he was actually taller than my Garrett, if only by an inch or two. Emmett was obviously quite a bit bulkier, but it would be a good test for my newborn strength and speed.

"Emmy?" I said, in my sweetest, most innocent-sounding voice that only fooled those outside of my coven, as I heard Peter and Jasper trying desperately to contain their laughter. My mate was too tense with me near the big, dangerous (ha!) vampire, so he just stood there looking all sexy and brooding.

"Yes, Bells?" Poor Emmett's eyes lit up like little golden Christmas lights.

"I just have two words for you, _brother_ bear." I pulled my fist back quicker than lightning, and sent it soaring straight for his massive square jaw, putting as much power behind it as I could, considerably more than I used on Jasper just a few days ago, "Fuck you."

My fingers actually hurt a bit at the contact, but Emmett went soaring back into a rather large pine tree, one that unfortunately could not withstand the impact, and it snapped in two. Rosalie stood there for a minute, waiting to see what I would do, then she ran to help her mate out of the tangled mess of tree limbs.

Garrett pulled me into his arms, running his fingers over every square inch of me, especially focusing on my slightly sore hand. He rubbed it gently, kissing the skin softly as his nearly-black eyes stayed locked on mine. "You know, sweet girl, one of these days you're going to punch the wrong vampire, and I'm going to have to kill them," he whispered in a dangerous tone of voice that made me want to take him inside and rip his clothes off.

Jasper the cock blocker cleared his throat right on cue, but Garrett still dipped his head enough to pull me up for a slow, delicious kiss. We really needed to wrap this shit up and get on with our lives. Our mating bond needed some serious consum_mating_.

Emmett had extracted himself from the tree by that time, and was slowly walking back toward us, though he stopped a good ten feet away. Not that I couldn't easily jump that far were I so inclined, but whatever made him feel better I guess.

"Look, Emmett, I'm gonna spell this out for you clearly, because I know you have trouble with the big words and all." He frowned at me, probably hurt, but it's not like I gave a shit. "You were my brother, and I loved you, but you left me. You abandoned me, just like Edward did, just like Carlisle and Esme did, and unlike Jasper, you didn't have a legitimate excuse.

"_Then_, you take the almighty midget's word that I was _dead_, and instead of coming back to pay your respects, or give your sympathy to my father, who had lost his only child, you stayed in Alaska or wherever the hell you ran off to, and pretended like I never existed. Not once, in almost _three years_ did you ever come back to visit my grave, or send money for funeral expenses, or build a new school gymnasium in my honor."

I stopped a took a deep breath, determined not to break down until I had said my peace, "I remember the good times with your family, Em. I really do. And someday, many years from now, I will probably cherish those memories without them being tainted by your leaving. But I have to tell you right now that I will never, ever be able to trust you again, and you will never hold that special place in my heart that I reserve for family."

Turning to my coven, my family, I held my hands out to bring them closer. Charlotte slipped under Garrett's arm to hug me tightly, and Peter reached out to put a hand on my shoulder. Jasper grabbed my free hand and sent me his agreement and encouragement. "This is my family now, Emmett, and these are the vampires I love more than anyone else in the world. I know I can trust them, and I can depend on them to support me, protect me, teach me, and encourage me every single day I spend in this new life.

"I know I haven't turned out to be the kind of vampire your family expected me to be, but the Bella Swan you knew died the day Edward left her in the woods. She died a little more watching her big brother suffer at the hands of a vampire he should have never had to face, and Jake killed the last little piece of her with his fists and claws." I raised my head up to face my past and put the distance I needed out there.

"I hope one day we can be friends, but today is not that day." I closed my eyes briefly and let out the breath I had been holding, releasing the tension in my shoulders and neck at the same time. I thought I would be overwhelmed with guilt again, like I was when I hit Jasper, but I wasn't bothered in the least.

Our coven pulled me into a tight group hug, until Garrett started growling and pulled me back to himself. Peter and Charlotte stepped off to the side, standing close together as always, but Jasper took a few steps forward toward his former siblings. "Y'all want me to take you hunting? There's a pretty good selection around here, and I'm sure you both could use some fresh blood."

Emmett was still staring at me sadly, but I refused to back down. I had all of eternity to hold a grudge- the Cullens were going to have to work hard to earn back my trust and affection, if they even wanted it. Rose's expression was hard to read, but she didn't look quite as angry as I would if someone had punched my mate through a tree. They turned and followed Jasper silently into the woods.

**Garrett POV  
**I watched the three veggies go off to chase some deer, and turned to check in with Peter. Bella was snuggled down in my arms, showing no intention of her earlier aggression, only a bit of sadness and longing, perhaps. "So, what did we miss? Did you talk to them much while we were gone?"

Peter sighed and glanced at Bella. "Yeah, we did. You wanna come inside and sit down?" Must be serious then. We followed the Whitlocks into the house, and my mate plopped herself down on my lap as soon as I claimed the armchair. I was briefly distracted by her nuzzling softly at my neck, but Peter was impatient and quickly drew our attention back to the matter at hand.

"Ok, so I asked about the Alice situation, and what he told us is pretty much all he knows. I did call Carlisle on your behalf, and he said that Edward discovered that Alice had lied about visions and kept things hidden, things that basically kept you and Bella from finding each other. She knew the day she saw her who her mate really was, but Edward was drawn to you, Bella, and I guess you know the rest."

Bella tensed in my arms at the mention of the Cullen patriarch, and I was more than a little irritated myself. I didn't think it was Peter's place to go calling _my_ former friend on _my_ behalf, especially when the topic in question was _my_ mate.

"Don't start growling at me, Garrett. I doubt he would have spoken to you anyway. Look, the guy is pretty much scared shitless right now. He knows you, probably better than anyone, and he knows exactly what you're capable of," Peter defended. "He knows what it feels like to be mated, and he knows just how badly his coven fucked things up with your mate."

That made sense, but I still didn't like the choice being taken out of my hands. I looked down at Bella to find her watching me in concern. I wasn't sure exactly what she was concerned about, but I wasn't sure she understood how seriously the Cullen family had broken the Law.

I wasn't a huge fan of the Volturi, as tyrants generally were not my favorite people, but I did respect the need for their role in the vampire community as a whole. There are always those vampires who have to push the envelope and draw speculation from the unsuspecting humans. In the old days, it was easier to explain away vampire sightings, mass feedings, and such, but with modern technology it was becoming more difficult for the immortal community to keep a low profile.

Carlisle's family already had the attention of the Volturi, based on the size of their coven alone. When you add in their strange diet, Carlisle's medical work, highly gifted members, and the fact that the "children" put themselves in daily contact with the human world, and you have a huge red bulls eye right on the Cullens' heads. All Aro needed was one little infraction and he could take out the perceived threat that they posed to his rule.

Despite Edward's immaturity and general weakness, I was sure that he understood better than anyone just what their family was risking by exposing their nature to Bella and leaving her human when they left her behind. His gift made him potentially valuable to the Italian kings, but I doubted he had any desire to serve on their guard. He simply lacked the discipline necessary to follow orders.

I explained to Bella that if Alice did actively keep me from my mate, I had legal course to take my complaint to the Volturi. The penalty for coming between mates was always death, as mating was such a sacred institution among vampires. However, if Aro had the chance to add a seer to his guard, he would probably take it and increase his power even further. At the same time, he could exact punishment on their coven instead, and Carlisle would most likely be the one to take the fall.

We wouldn't know for sure without speaking to Edward directly, but I wasn't sure how cooperative the little brat would be. After a lengthy discussion, we decided to put off our contact with the remaining Cullens until after we had handled the situation with the mutts in La Push.

When Jasper, Emmett, and Rosalie returned from hunting, we let them know our plans. It was time for Bella to return to her former home. It was open season on wolves in Washington.

**Edward POV  
**I was staring down at my hands feeling rather like Lady Macbeth, positive I could still seen the faint gleam of venom tainting my thin pianist's fingers. No matter how much blood I drank, the foul taste of my sister's life-force still lingered in my guilty mouth. If I wasn't a monster before that day, surely her death had put me over.

I had barely lived in the years since losing my Isabella, and my family had all but fallen apart the day we left her in the gloomy town of Forks. The whole point of leaving was to save her from death at our family's hands, or teeth. I didn't want to believe it when I saw Alice's vision play out, but she showed me how Bella had followed me into the woods and later curled up on the leaves and bracken as her heartbeat grew slower and slower. The moment she faded to blackness broke my cold, dead heart over and over again.

It was almost as if my heart had been shocked back to life when I caught a live, unedited vision from Alice of my poor Bella, broken and bloodied almost beyond recognition as Garrett, a man I have despised my entire immortal life, leaned over her and damned her to this life. It was like losing her all over again, only now I had to worry about running into her somewhere and seeing her red eyes and scarred-up freak of a mate.

Mate. What a joke. I tore into Alice when I finally got her alone. Seeing into everyone's minds for so many years definitely has its drawbacks and its advantages. Jasper had a hard time learning to control his thoughts, and for years I had a front row seat to the Southern Vampire Wars, Major Whitlock style. His memories were so graphic, tainted with a red tinge of anger, or possibly blood, since I saw him literally bathing in the stuff. But one of those memories came in handy when it came to his ex-wife's demise.

I had to know why Alice let me believe that Bella was mine, and why she let us walk away and leave her to die if she wasn't. I drew from Jasper's memories and literally pulled the truth from her, piece by tiny little fashionable piece. I was briefly transported back to my "rebellious" years, when I served as judge, jury, and executioner to the scum of humanity. This time, the scum was a vampire I called my sister for more than half a century.

It didn't take much to get her talking, just a few bony fingers actually, but once her mind opened and she showed me the visions she had held back, I was overcome with fury. She knew the first time she saw Bella that she would eventually wind up with Garrett, but she let me go on and fall for her anyway. Once we kissed, and our love was cemented, another vision took over that I think may have pushed Alice over the brink of sanity.

The images were blurry, and the scenes were disjointed, but sometime after our _wedding_, the Volturi would have come and attempted to destroy our family. I couldn't see exactly what caused their ire, but I did see Garrett take my _wife_ and leave long before the Italians showed up. Alice and Jasper were also out of the picture, but another vampire was there that shocked me to my core.

A beautiful Irish girl with curly red ringlets that matched her huge red eyes was supposed to be _my_ mate. I knew I had never met her, though I recognized her from Carlisle's memories- her name was Maggie. In Alice's vision, she pleaded with me to run, but I foolishly stayed to defend my family, despite the insurmountable odds. Alice showed up just before the battle and we were all destroyed, including the numerous covens and nomads who joined us to stand against them. Including _my mate._

Alice knew all this, knew who we were really supposed to be mated with, and instead of telling us, she let us fall in love and then let us leave Bella alone with the knowledge of our world. When I asked her where Jasper was in her visions, she tried to hide her thoughts again, but a single image slipped by of a feral newborn huddled by a huge bonfire. Jasper was crouched protectively in front of her, looking nearly as untamed as the girl herself. I guess I had my answer for why Alice let him leave; she knew he was never really hers.

My mother's loving thoughts drew closer, and Carlisle was right beside her. I had left my door open, so they didn't bother to knock. It was almost strange living with just the three of us again, as we had before the rest of our family joined us. I was surprised by their reaction to my news when I showed up with Alice's ashes bundled in my shirt. Traitor or not, she was still my sister, and I knew Esme would want me to treat her remains with respect.

Carlisle was terrified when I told him about Garrett and Bella. He wanted to move immediately, with no forwarding address, sure that the patriot would seek him out for his part in whatever had happened to Bella. Esme just cried and said she wanted to see her daughter again, and she didn't care what color her eyes were. I don't know if I will ever be able to face her. I loved Bella as a human, and I can't imagine her as anything but the soft, fragile, beautiful-smelling girl I left behind.

Mom's hands fell to my shoulders, where she tried to rub the tension from them with her gentle touch. _I love you, my boy. I think it's time you get out of this house and see some new scenery._

I whipped my head around to see her face, were they kicking me out? Her soft smile set me at ease, but Carlisle held out three pieces of paper that I instantly recognized as plane tickets. "I think it's time we visited Ireland. What do you say, son?"

Ireland. The land of my human grandparents, who said my mother's green eyes matched the green hills perfectly. The land of my mate. The land of my future.

"Let's go."


	21. Independence Day

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Chapter 21- Independence Day**

**Garrett POV  
**I kept my eyes closed, enjoying our last few moments of stolen peace before the shit storm I was sure we were about to walk into. I was sprawled out on the bed that smelled heavily of both Bella and my scents, with my mate draped across me like a beautiful, delicious blanket.

It was her idea to take a "nap" after our last round of love-making, and I was happy to indulge her latent human desire. While I was content basking in the skin-to-skin contact, I couldn't keep my hands from roaming her body wherever I could reach. One hand was apparently obsessed with her luscious long hair, and I had carefully combed through every tangle and separated every beautiful curl.

My other hand softly traced her curves, from her smooth white shoulder, with a careful pass over my mark, down the side of her full, perky breasts, then across her perfectly curvy hips to rest on that pert little ass that I loved so much. She twitched a bit when my hand drifted lower, tracing the back of her thighs, and I couldn't hold back a chuckle at my discovery of her ticklish spot.

"Shh, Gar, I'm sleeping," she stage-whispered, swatting lightly at my handsy, well, hand.

Looking at the clock, I sighed and pulled her up closer to my face. I ran a finger from her perfectly sculpted eyebrow, down to her full bottom lip. Her eyes were tight with apprehension as she leaned over to press a light kiss to my lips, before resting her forehead against mine.

"I'm sorry, sweet girl, but we need to get moving if we're gonna make it to La Push before dark." She groaned at my words, but sat up slowly and began to crawl off my body. I instantly mourned the loss of contact, but I reminded myself that the sooner we got this finished, the sooner we could start our lives together, hopefully just the two of us.

We spent the last two days grilling Emmett for information on the wolf pack, and receiving very little that was useful. He knew the alpha's name was Seth, something that shocked Bella speechless and led to a "happy cry" before she could explain who this Seth person was. I grudgingly admitted that I owed the guy for bringing my mate to safety where I could find her in time to save her life. That didn't mean I wasn't gonna hurt the dude if I thought he deserved it.

Rose had made several attempts to speak to Bella, who brushed her off at every turn. My mate finally turned to her in exasperation and asked the blonde bitch what the hell she wanted, only to receive Rose's tearful explanation of why she had hated human Bella's guts. She told her that she was jealous of her humanity, hated to see Bella throwing her life away, etc, etc.

I was proud of Bella when she shared enough of her trials to show Rose that the Cullens leaving had certainly not made her human life better in any shape, form, or fashion, and had in fact stolen every chance of hope she every had at living a "normal" human life. She then lit into Rose for pining over a fairy tale she was never going to live, and ignoring the all-consuming love of a good man for the past seven decades. Bella advised her to pull her head out of her ass- causing Pete to fall over laughing when she helpfully pointed out that she could use the stick that was lodged up there to help lever it out- and start living the life she was given and make the best of it.

Rosalie had been uncharacteristically silent since that conversation, and I saw her looking at Emmett as if she had never seen him before, so maybe Bella actually got through to her on some level. I hated that my mate had to relive her own pain just to smack some sense into that selfish girl, but she was tough, and I was there for her every step of the way.

Peter told us we needed to pack up our belongings because we would be headed somewhere else after we left Washington, but the fucker was being entirely too tight-lipped about our destination, and I was beginning to get worried about what he might have up his sleeve. Jasper was also looking at him strangely, so I knew he hadn't filled his sire in on whatever he _knew_ either.

After loading the truck, we gave Emmett a lift into town where he and Rose had left his Jeep. We then headed northwest toward Seattle, and Bella sat silently in my arms, pulling herself closer with each mile, almost as if she wanted to crawl into my chest and hide herself there. I soothed her the best I could and tried to keep my own nerves in check as we drew closer and closer to her past, and potential danger.

It was just past noon when we pulled into Seattle, and I checked to be sure Bella didn't need to feed again before we left the city. I knew there wouldn't be much opportunity as we drove further away from civilization, but despite being trapped in a car all day, her eyes were still bright red and she told us she didn't want to stop.

We slowed as we passed the Welcome to Forks sign, and Bella's voice was nostalgic as she pointed out various places that were important to her human life. There was the high school she attended, where she met vampires as an innocent seventeen-year-old girl, completely naïve in the ways of this world.

She smiled fondly as she passed a grocery store, reminding us that she cooked for her father, and later for the wolf pack. She showed us a sporting goods store where she worked, and ducked her head in shock when an older blonde woman stepped outside to tape a sale ad on the window. I didn't have the heart to tell my mate that no one from her old life would recognize her now, unless they were vampires.

Peter slammed on the brakes when Bella grabbed his arm and pointed to an empty lot set on a quiet street. It was bordered by trees on two sides, and I instinctively knew this was once her home. "They died right here. Charlie and Embry- Victoria killed them both before the pack could reach them," her voice was barely more than a whisper, as she relived the memories that haunted her.

"Jake dragged me here less than an hour after it happened. Embry was torn apart, and there was blood absolutely everywhere. Charlie had been sliced up some, but the biggest injury was on his neck. She tore his throat out, but didn't drain him completely." Charlotte and I exchanged a worried glance- she had never shared this much detail with us, and I wondered if this was a good idea after all.

"My dad was writhing around with the pain of the change, but he didn't scream at all. I brushed his hair back and he looked up at me and tried to smile. His mouth formed the words, 'Love you,' and then he looked at Jake and nodded his head once." She took a deep breath and finally turned from the window to look at me. "Jake made me watch while he shot my father. I understood why the wolves couldn't let him change- there was no one to teach him, no one to keep him in line. They put them both in the house and burned it to the ground. Blamed it on a gas leak."

That was it. One way or another, Jacob Black was going to die by my hand. He was one seriously fucked-up wolf. I couldn't blame him for killing Bella's father, but he sure as hell didn't have to make her watch him do it. She clearly already carried the burden of guilt that she certainly didn't own. He just pushed her further down.

"I'm sorry, Sugar. I'm sorry you had to see that, and we'll make sure your father's death was avenged. I promise you that," Peter said, taking the words right out of my mouth, though the way he phrased them made me wonder if he _knew_ something about what we were walking into.

Bella curled up in my arms and sniffled, a human habit she had carried over that showed when she was crying. I hoped when we left here today she would finally have some closure on this relatively short, if traumatic, season of her life. I wanted to show her everything positive this world had to offer to those of our kind.

We drove to the Cullen house, planning to approach the wolves from relatively familiar territory, not necessarily wanting to put them on the defensive by invading their borders right off the bat. Bella confessed to me that she was terrified to go near the reservation, unsure of her control, and she would never forgive herself if she hurt Sam's son, the nephew she was never allowed to meet.

Emmett and Rosalie were waiting for us in front of the huge white house, and it was my turn for my memories to stop my breath. I did not want to walk through that door. I kept seeing my mate, covered in blood, and tenaciously hanging on to life until I was able to reach her. I looked at Peter, trying once again to convey my gratitude for his invaluable interference in my life and Bella's. I would never be able to repay him for what he did for us.

As if she could read my mind, and I was pretty sure I wasn't actually speaking out loud this time, Bella pulled my face down to her level and pressed her lips firmly to mine. "I'm so glad you found me, Garrett, and that you didn't give up on me when I was so difficult. I love you."

She pulled away from me much sooner than I would have liked, and walked straight over to Peter and looked up at the man she had slowly let into her very small circle of trust. "Pete? I don't even know what to tell you other than thank you. Thank you so much. You literally gave me new life when you sent Garrett to me." I didn't growl when she raised up on her toes to lightly kiss his cheek.

Once Bella was safely back in my arms, we looked at our motley assortment of vampires, a little unsure of who would lead us. Personally, I was planning on sticking to Bella like glue, making sure she didn't snap when she caught the nauseating scent of the wolves she once loved. She was already wrinkling her nose against the faint traces that lingered in the Cullens' yard, but that was nothing compared to smelling them in person.

Jasper took control, and for once I didn't mind. Technically, we were on his territory, as he was easily the most qualified leader out of the Cullens present. Not that he still counted himself as one, but his golden eyes and familiarity would only work in our favor here.

"There's a clearing along the treaty line that would be a good place to draw the wolves out. It shouldn't take them long to find us when we get there." He turned to my mate and looked at her with questioning eyes, "Bella? If you can speak for us, I'd like to give you the opportunity. If it's too much, just let one of us know, ok? Stay close to Garrett and let him help you stay in control."

She nodded, hugging me a little too tightly, a sure indication that her mind was not on monitoring her strength and instincts. I needed to get her grounded before we set out here.

Pulling her to the side of the house, still within view of the others, but far enough away to give an illusion of privacy, I took a knee and looked up into her slightly-wild eyes. I put one hand on her waist and the other tangled in her hair as I brought all her focus to my face.

"Bella? Look at me, sweet girl. I need you to focus on me for now." I waited for her breathing to level out and her eyes to lighten a bit more. She nodded and leaned over to rest her forehead against mine. I was distracted for a minute by her sweet breath and plump lips, but I shook that off to help my mate.

"This is what you've been waiting for. Peter thinks you're ready, and I want to agree, but I am only looking out for your best interests. If something goes wrong and I feel that you are in danger of any kind, I will not hesitate to wrap you up and take you out of there," I told her seriously. "So if you want to get the closure you're after, you need to work as hard as you can to keep yourself in control."

With her eyes closed, I took advantage of her distraction and pulled her closer for a demanding kiss, trying desperately to consume her and pull her into myself where I could keep her safe with me. Behind my closed eyelids, the warring images of her broken human body and her perfect new immortal one had me clinging to her fiercely, until her voice brought me back.

"Shh, sweetie. It's ok. I'm safe, and I'll be safe. You won't lose me." I opened my eyes to see her staring down at me in concern. I just stood up, lifting her with me, and strode toward the rest of the group. She giggled happily as she wrapped her legs around my waist, so I considered my job done.

All too soon, our group was running cautiously through the rainy woods, with the smell of wet dog growing stronger with each mile. Bella ran close beside me, clinging to my hand on one side, and Charlotte's on the other. Charlotte had pulled her aside before we left, speaking to her in soft tones and calm encouragement, letting her know we were all here to support her.

Jasper took the lead as we broke through trees, with Peter and Emmett on either side. Rosalie stood close behind Emmett, and Charlotte stepped forward to hide my mate from view. Bella stilled completely as a tall native man and three enormous wolves stepped into the clearing.

**Bella POV  
**I braced myself to see him again for the first time since he tried to kill me. I didn't sleep anymore, but Jacob Black had haunted my waking nightmares for every day of the past two months since I awoke to this life.

I had to cut off my breathing as the wolves drew closer. I could hear their heavy heartbeats, but their blood was even less appealing than the animals that Jasper loved to snack on. I couldn't identify any of the scents, though I thought I would remember the boys I spent so much time with, especially Jared and Paul.

My new eyesight could appreciate the size of the wolves in a way my human sight never could. Paul's silver fur seemed to ripple with every movement, as his huge brown eyes scanned our group, no doubt searching for me. He was the only one pacing, as usual; I had never known Paul to sit still for any length of time.

Jared and Quil stood on guard behind Seth, who looked like he had grown even taller since I last saw him. I guessed then that it was true- somehow the youngest wolf was now the new alpha.

Looking at the wolves, I couldn't summon one ounce of hatred for my boys. The one I wanted to destroy wasn't here, and my anger suddenly had no target. I focused my senses further out from the clearing, trying to discern if he was lurking somewhere just out of sight, or even sneaking around behind us.

That thought brought a spike of panic that Garrett and Jasper both felt as they stepped closer to me at almost the same exact second. "Where is he?! Where is he, Seth? Where's the worthless bastard that ruined my life?!"

It took me a minute to realize that the slightly-crazed, faintly demonic voice shouting in the previously quiet clearing actually belonged to me. I could feel that my eyes had darkened, and I had to spit a mouthful of venom out onto the ground, but I didn't lose myself as I had before.

Seth took a step forward, causing all the vampires surrounding me to let out warning growls. I waved them off, knowing Seth was the last person who would hurt me, even if I was now his mortal enemy. "Bells?" he asked, peering around my guards. "Is that really you?"

I scoffed in annoyance; I didn't know why I hadn't realized that of course they wouldn't recognize me. Hell, I probably could have walked right up to Mrs. Newton back at the store and she wouldn't have had a clue who I was. Of course, I would have wanted to drain her, but that was beside the point.

"Yeah, it's me. Garrett's venom had to work a little harder than most since Jacob rearranged my face before he shredded me." I wasn't going to tiptoe around these guys, they knew what Jake was doing to me for years before I 'died,' and I had nothing to hide from the pack.

Paul suddenly phased back, and I couldn't stop my smile when Garrett growled and covered my eyes while he pulled his shorts on. It wouldn't do me any good to tell him it was nothing I hadn't seen- many times- before. Not that he had anything to worry about, my mate was just as, um, proportionate as the boys were in that particular area. I just pressed a kiss to his palm as I slid his hand down and snuggled under his arm.

"Bella? I'm so glad you're ok now! Is this your mate? That Cullen over there told us your mate was the one who changed you. I came to see you after we took care of Jake, but you were already gone. I've been so worried about you, little sister. I-" I was surprised that Paul dropped his tough façade with so many vampires around, but his words caught my attention.

"Wait, Paul! What do you mean, you 'took care of Jake'?" I didn't realize I had stepped toward the wolves, but Garrett pulled me back against his chest and wrapped his arms around me in what I was beginning to recognize as his protective/restraining hold. I knew he wouldn't let me go unless one of the wolves crossed a line and it came down to a fight.

Paul took a step back and glanced over at Seth, instinctively deferring to his alpha. That was still something I couldn't quite wrap my mind around. Little Seth Clearwater, who I had watched grow from an awkward, innocent, fourteen-year-old boy, to a still-young, much larger, world-worn Alpha. Thinking back to what the date was, I realized he still hadn't turned seventeen yet. He was the same age Jake was when he took over the pack.

I could see Seth's wolf in the flash of his eyes and the swell of his chest, but his hands were steady as he held off his phase. As he began to speak, the others around us all lost my attention as I focused solely on his words. His voice rang with an authority he wasn't born with, but one that was clearly thrust upon him. My heart ached for his stolen innocence, but I listened carefully as told me what happened here two months ago.

"Bells, when I left you at the house, I went straight back to the rez and called the pack together. I showed them what I saw at your cabin, and how you looked when I left you. We all agreed that Jacob's days of ordering us around were over. They submitted to me, and I led them to the Black house to call Jacob out.

"He knew immediately that he had lost the pack, but he refused to bow to me when I gave him the chance. Maybe he if had, things might have gone differently. I don't know." Seth's head bowed for a minute, and he took a deep breath before continuing. I wanted to look at the other wolves, but my eyes were glued to Seth's face and I couldn't look away.

"We phased as a pack, and told him we were there to avenge your death at his hands. The spirits demanded that we take his punishment out of his flesh, but as soon as we turned on him, his wolf left him." I gasped as the meaning of his words sank in. They did to Jacob the same thing he did to me- attacked his human body in wolf form. Did that mean...?

"With four of us on him, it didn't last long. I matched your wounds, slicing him open with my claws. Quil and Jared used his arms and legs for chew toys, and Paul..." Seth glanced at Paul, who I finally noticed was standing straighter as he stared at me with nothing but love in his eyes, "Paul fought like he always does- he went straight for his throat."

"I thought you were dead, sis. I wasn't gonna let him get away with that. My wolf has always loved you, and he was out for blood. It was almost too easy though, I damn near took his whole head off." Paul's own head dropped as if he had suddenly exhausted himself. He was breathing heavily and when he looked back at me, I could see the tears running down his face. "I did it for you, Bells. I'm so sorry it was too little, too late, but I couldn't stand to have him breathing the same air he took from you, and walking the land I was going to have to bury you in."

Paul fell to his knees, and I noticed that Jasper was on the ground as well, curled up in a ball as Peter tried to comfort him. I knew he was probably overwhelmed by the different emotions and I hated that he had to feel all that. Paul held his hand out toward me and I looked back at Garrett before taking a small step in his direction.

"I love you, Bells. You were the first person I ever let into my heart, and it kills me that I couldn't help you when you were still human. I'm not asking for your forgiveness, because I know I don't deserve it, but I did what I did to try and atone for my sins against you. Please, Bella," he was still holding his hand out to me, and I just stepped forward to carefully take it in mine.

The heat was so much more than when I was human- his skin felt like a furnace now, but still comforting in a way. His smell was atrocious, and that made me sad because I remembered how much comfort I took in Paul's scent when I was human.

A brush of fur across my arm alerted me to Jared's presence, and I watched in awe as golf ball-sized tears rolled from his huge wolf eyes. I reached my other hand out to stroke the fur on his neck, and was pleased when he leaned into my cold touch, even in this form. If I closed my eyes I could imagine that the past two years never happened, and Sam was just out running patrol while I stayed with the rest of the pack.

Garrett finally ran out of patience and came to pull me back to his side, wrinkling his nose and whispering that he would have to bathe me again at the Cullen house, just like old times. He looked a bit anxious when I told him I had no idea what he was talking about, and Paul just laughed and told him good luck with that one.

I felt oddly deflated knowing that the revenge I came to find had already been exacted by the wolves who both loved and shunned me. Garrett seemed relieved, and he later told me it was because there was no way on earth he was going to let me kill Jacob. He didn't want me to live with that, and he was going to do it himself to keep my hands and conscience clean.

We didn't stay long in the clearing, as Paul needed to get back home to Leah and their new baby, who he gleefully told me he named Samantha Marie, after me and Sam. Charlotte cried with me, knowing just how much it meant to me that my grandmother's name would live on in the next generation.

When we reached the house and cleaned up, glad to see that Emmett had removed the bloody couch and mopped with bleach, we turned to Peter to see where we were headed next. He had a somewhat resigned look on his face, and I wasn't sure why until he told us he _knew_ where Jasper's mate was.

We all nearly fell over from the shock that Jasper projected, but we quickly recovered and asked Pete where exactly that was.

"Alaska"


	22. Epilogue- Love Me Tender

_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Epilogue- Love Me Tender**

_"Love me tender, love me dear  
Tell me you are mine  
I'll be yours through all the years  
'Til the end of time"  
-Elvis Presley, Love Me Tender_

**Garrett POV  
**I didn't realize I was bouncing anxiously on my toes until the rather overweight Elvis leaned over and put his hand on my arm, "Calm down there, son. She's coming."

I flashed him a smile that probably showed a few too many teeth, based on how he cringed away and his heart rate shot up. I felt a little bad for the guy- I mean, yeah, I'm a vampire, but I wasn't gonna eat the guy who was officiating my wedding! Especially not when he was dressed as Elvis!

Waiting for my beautiful Bella to come down the aisle, I looked around the room at the strange assortment of witnesses we had pulled together for our long-awaited nuptials.

When we left Washington more than ten years ago, I had no idea how often we would be seeing those damn wolves. Seth had called us less than six months later, saying some nomads were terrorizing their pack, and one of them had a gift similar to Jane of the Volturi, so they were unable to take him down and they were worried about the safety of their tribe.

My mate was determined to help them, saying it was too similar to what happened all those years ago, and that vampires needed to get the message that her puppies were off limits (Peter's words, not mine. I would probably get bitten if I said that to her.)

With Bella's shield and my fighting expertise, we took care of the problem and foolishly promised to help again any time they needed us. We've been back twice more in the years since, but Bella speaks to that mutt, Paul, at least once a week. I think if she could stand the smell, and Paul's mate, she would move him into our house right along with us.

That's right, we are living in _our_ house, _alone_, just the two of us. I freaked out a bit when Peter said we needed to go to Alaska, because I had a bit of personal history with the Denali clan. And I could just see my Bella declaring war on the succubus sisters and causing no shortage of problems for me.

I managed to convince the Whitlocks that it would be in everyone's best interests not to expose Bella to such a large coven of unfamiliar vampires while she was still so new to this life. I didn't fool anyone, but I did get my mate to myself for a few weeks.

It turns out that Jasper's mate was waiting for him up there in the wilds of Alaska, and we were all surprised when it was discovered that she shared a history with Bella, and not a pleasant one at all.

Bree had been changed by Victoria, the vampire who killed Bella's father and several other members of the La Push pack and tribe. Along with her friends Diego and Fred, Bree escaped from their headquarters in Seattle and swam north until they reached northern Canada. From there they traveled until the Denali sisters found them, and took them all in.

Bree was a succubus as well, so the coven was a perfect place for her to tame her instincts, even if they did insist that she hunt animals along with the rest of them. What was even more surprising was the fact that the two males found their mates in Kate and Tanya. I still laughed every time I pictured the feisty Kate with a vampire named Fred. Seriously, who turns someone named Fred? And the guy was repulsive. No, literally! His gift repels other vampires, everyone except Kate, and Bella, once she finally agreed to meet them.

It took almost two years of pleading, crying, and phone calls between her and Jasper before she broke down and decided to give his mate a chance. I finally had to tell her that Bree and the others were just as much victims of the same crazy vampire as she was. She and Irina, however, still could not be left alone together, after Bella dismembered her for being involved with Laurent.

Once Bella and Bree met face-to-face, they bonded almost instantly. Of course, they weren't as close as Bree and Charlotte were, but Jasper and Peter were quite happy that their mates were drawn to each other the same way the boys were. Those Whitlocks were some kinky freaks.

Speaking of, I had to reach over and nudge Charlotte when Elvis started smelling a bit too aroused for my comfort. She and Bree were on the front row, with their mates seated behind them, and the romantic atmosphere had them trying to suck each other's faces off. That view never gets old, and that does _not_ make me hypocritical, no matter what my mate says. Everyone knows that two hot girls kissing is a lot more appealing than two guys. It's just common sense.

Across the aisle, my old friend, Charles, was sitting with his mate, Makenna, and they both still looked a bit shell-shocked. They had the hotel room next to the Whitlock foursome, and I can imagine what they had to listen to last night. I can imagine because we've lived with them off and on over the years. The sound effects may not be great, but the extra lust that Jasper puts out kinda makes up for it.

The music changed and my attention immediately shot to the back of the room as everyone stood to get their first glimpse of my bride. The doors opened and I actually swayed on my feet when I saw my beautiful mate.

Bella insisted that she never wanted to get married, said the whole institution was a farce and she hated the whole white dress, bridezilla thing. I begged her for years to reconsider, but it wasn't until last year when I found the perfect ring, a vintage piece from the 1920's with a modest sapphire as the center stone, that she finally caved.

She insisted that we had to get married in Vegas, swore she was going to wear ratty old sweats and a tank top with no bra. I teased her that she never wore a bra as it was, and I was sure Elvis wouldn't mind either way. The only thing that mattered to me was that she would legally wear my name, tying us together in every possible way.

When she came into view I immediately realized that all her complaints these past few months were just for show. I wasn't sure why Char had insisted I wear new jeans and a white button-down shirt, but now that I saw Bella, I was glad I did. Standing there, holding tightly to Paul's arm, was an absolute vision. Her hair was curled even more than normal, and the sides were pulled back with little sparkly pins and tiny white flowers all in it.

Her dress was simple, but it was a wedding dress. It fit tight on her breasts, showing them off perfectly, and flowed out like shimmery water from there. I couldn't hold back a laugh when I saw her pretty bare feet peeking out from under the hem. One of the girls must have held her down and painted her toenails, but other than that she didn't have a stitch of makeup on, or jewelry either. She didn't need anything extra to make her more beautiful than she already was.

Bella's eyes were filled with venom tears as she gazed at me from across the small chapel, but I was a bit startled when I smelled the salt of tears in the air as well. Paul was sniffling quietly, with big teardrops running down his cheeks, and I couldn't even say anything because I would also be crying if I physically could. My Bella was just that special.

He walked her down the aisle, and we had a surreal moment when the werewolf told Elvis that he was giving this vampire to be married. Our wedding could not be more perfect.

Once Bella's small hands were in mine, I couldn't focus on anything but her gleaming brown eyes. We could have glamoured the officiant, but she wanted to wear the contacts and insisted I wear some as well, saying that if I insisted on a human marriage, I could pretend to be human while we said our vows.

I was never more thankful for my vampire brain than I was during those minutes. One part of my mind was focused solely on my beautiful bride, taking in every detail of her perfect face that I waited so many years to find. I repeated the words I needed to, and listened to her voice as she claimed me as well. We slipped the rings on our hands, and kissed, forgetting everyone else was in the room with us.

When I instantly lost my hard-on and began to feel nauseous, I pulled away and glared at Jasper. He just chuckled and waved at me with the hand he had wrapped around Peter's shoulder. Stupid fucker.

Bella's hand on my cheek brought my attention back where it should have been, and I leaned over to kiss her one more time. Our friends all stood and cheered, and we turned to watch Elvis sing for us. Bella turned in my arms and leaned back against my chest, purring contentedly.

I leaned over and put my lips right next to her ear and sang quietly along with the human. It hadn't taken me very long to learn just how much my mate liked my singing voice, and I never missed an opportunity to remind her how sexy her mate is,  
"_Love me tender, love me sweet  
Never let me go  
You have made my dreams complete  
And I love you so"_

She hummed happily, reaching her hand back to tangle in my hair, hair which I brushed regularly at her insistence nowadays, "I love you too, Gar, and I'm glad I finally married you. Now, can we ditch the rest of these guys and go trash the honeymoon suite?"

My growl was loud enough to startle Elvis, and he missed a few words, but I just scooped up my bride and strode quickly down the aisle, ignoring the vampires and wolf in our wake. If they wanted to stop us, I would remind them who the best fighter was.

Bella giggled as I carried her right out of the chapel and down the street to our hotel. I didn't stop at all, just headed straight for the elevator. Bella captured my lips as soon we stepped into our room, but I had to slow down because I didn't want to tear her pretty wedding dress.

She whined when I pulled away and set her down, but I just smiled and cupped her cheeks in my hands. "Shh, sweet girl. I want to take my time with you, with my _wife._"

Her breath caught at my words and I smiled as I leaned over to kiss right behind her ear, where I knew it drove her crazy. "Yes, Mrs. Williams, you're completely mine now, and I can't tell you how amazing that feels."

"Mrs. Williams, I like the sound of that," Bella's reply was slightly breathless, as I turned her so her back was to me. My lips were working their way down her neck, over my mark, and toward the zipper on her dress. As I pulled it down slowly, I reached my other hand over her shoulder to cup her breast, drawing a needy moan from my mate.

The gauzy material pooled at her feet and I was greeted with Bella's usual lack of undergarments, something I had never been more grateful for. My fingers explored her soft, smooth skin, working my way to her warm, wet center. She moaned again when I dipped one finger just far enough inside to tease her a bit, until I finally pressed against her clit at the same time I latched my mouth onto her mark and sucked hard. "Yes! Garrett!"

She turned to face me when I chuckled smugly, and instantly reached for the buttons on my shirt. "I want to keep your shirt, as well. We'll have to stage pictures later since we ran out of the chapel so quickly," she said, her tone slightly chastising as she worked her way slowly down the front of my shirt, finally slipping it off my shoulders to toss it over beside her dress.

Her fingers gently traced my scars, tenderly soothing the pain of years past. Her touch had me hard and aching for release before she even reached for the button on my jeans. The gleam in her eye as she dropped to her knees let me know she was completely aware of what she was doing, and I was in for a long night.

It had taken several years for her to completely open up with me when it came to sex, but we had finally exorcised the last of her demons, and our time alone was just that, with no lingering scars or fears.

I might have whimpered when she pulled me into her incredibly talented mouth, but I had to pull her back much sooner than I would have liked. "I need to be inside you, now!" I growled, pulling her to her feet and lifting her onto the bed.

I placed her gently on the pillows in the center of the bed, and sat back on my heels to study my beautiful mate for just a bit. As I started to move forward over her body, I was startled when she let out a light laugh. I looked down to make sure I was still at attention, and didn't see anything that could possibly be found humorous about the situation. I was a little worried and a little more offended.

"Oh, Gar, it's not you! Look up, sweetie! This is definitely Vegas!" She got the words out between giggles, and I finally followed her finger and looked up to see a giant gold-framed mirror on the ceiling directly above the bed. Oh, I was definitely going to use this to my advantage.

With her eyes still looking up, I pressed a quick kiss to her stomach before I slid around behind her. Slipping beneath her body, I propped the pillows up so I was reclining against them, and pulled Bella up onto my chest. Reaching down, I rearranged us so my cock was pressed against her center, moving my hips a bit so it slid between her wet folds.

"Oh!" she gasped, eyes wide and locked on the image above us. Splayed out on top of me, she looked even smaller than normal, and I loved the picture we presented together. With one hand, I shifted her up far enough to slip inside her, and this time I was the one mesmerized by the picture in the mirror.

Neither of us said a word as we moved together, perfectly synchronized after our years of practice. She knew just how to roll her hips so that I brushed against her g-spot, and I knew just how much pressure to put on her nipple and her clit to send her soaring.

Her left hand reached down to curl her fingers between mine, and the gleam of our matching rings caught both our attention. "I love you, my mate, my wife," I breathed into her ear as her head fell back against my shoulder with her impending orgasm. Her walls clenched tightly, drawing out my release, and just like the day I found her, I saw fireworks.

* * *

_**AN: Yep, this is it! Thank you so much for sticking with me through this whole process, I hope you're not disappointed! I haven't marked it completed yet because I do have several outtakes I will post as separate chapters. They are fairly short (first one is less than 1k words), and most will be in 3rd person. If you have something you'd like to see, let me know and I'll try to work it in. So far I have one for Alice's vision, and Edward and Jasper meeting their mates.**_

_**I added to my bio, but for Charlotte I see Amanda Seyfried, because, I'm sorry, but the girl in the movie was not pretty and not blonde. For Bree, I'm leaning toward Megan Fox, and yes, I have girl crushes on both of them.**_


	23. Outtake 1- Seeing Things

**_AN: Here's the first outtake, and yes, it's very short. I was going to have Edward mention it in his little chapter, but decided the vision would be better on its own. For the two or three of you who asked about Alice's mate, and the rest of you who wanted to see her vision. Here ya go! This is why she wanted Bella dead, which she thought was accomplished by the family leaving her. She manipulated Edward to do her bidding accordingly. Yes, she was nuts._**

**_To clarify, Part I is the vision, Part II is "real" life._**

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_Disclaimer: __SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Outtake 1- Seeing Things_**

**Part I- A****lice's vision  
**Alistair was a simple vampire. He'd survived hundreds of years alone, only needing to interact with humans at mealtimes, and vampires when they absolutely could not be avoided. And with his gift, those times were rare.

When Alistair sensed his only friend, Carlisle Cullen, approaching, he braced himself to run once again. It took him a few minutes to realize that the annoying pull that had hovered near Carlisle for the past fifty years was somewhere in South America instead, so he decided to take the opportunity to speak with the blonde vegetarian.

Alistair was torn when he heard Carlisle's story, not wanting to go up against the Volturi, but also desperately needing to know how the fight would end. Alistair was nothing if not nosey. So he agreed to the journey, resigning himself to the discomfort of the company of others for the forseeable future.

The reclusive nomad silently observed the Cullen home, watching Bella with her daughter, as her new mate hovered protectively over them. He watched Garrett repeatedly dismember Edward, something that everyone found to be oddly amusing, until the Irish coven arrived, and little Maggie found her mate in the snobbish mind reader.

He watched Bella master her shield, as Kate foolishly taunted her with stories of her past sexual exploits with the newborn's mate, until Bella ripped off her head and nearly caused a war among the peaceful animal drinkers.

Alistair overheard the whispered conversation between Bella and Maggie, where the newborn pleaded for her husband's new mate to try and convince him of the foolishness this coming battle entailed. He was the only one to see Bella and Garrett take the child and slip away under the cover of darkness and her shield, with the smelly silver wolf who was somehow mated to the child.

Though he knew the only chance of beating the Volturi had fled, he stayed to watch the training continue, until he felt that annoying pull drawing closer and knew he had to leave to avoid detection. The last thing Alistair needed was a mate.

When he felt the pull disappear, he knew the battle had not gone in Carlisle's favor, and the nomad decided to look for the young shield and her mate, and seek asylum with them until the Volturi lost interest. She seemed like a bright girl, and her mate was interesting enough, not to mention the child and dog as well. His curiosity would be well sated for the next century or two after his visit.

~oOo~

Jasper Whitlock was very content in his new role with the Volturi guard. He no longer had to battle his thirst, as he was always fully sated on human blood. Unbeknownst to him, Chelsea kept him happily bonded to his savior, Aro, and Caius gave him a purpose leading the guard as he led his human and vampire armies in the past. He was completely devoted to the Volturi's noble cause.

He had to admit he was worried when he found his mate in Victoria's newborn army, especially when the Volturi showed up to investigate. But Demetri was pleased to offer them amnesty, and he led them home to Volterra and their new life. Jasper's gift was valuable to Aro, and his military training further endeared him to the ruling vampires. Bree was being carefully instructed in the ways of vampire life, and Jasper was pleased that his vulnerable mate was so well-protected.

His first few months in the guard passed with few issues, until the day Aro called the empath into the throne room. A complaint had been lodged against his former coven, by Irina Denali of all people. The Cullens had created an immortal child.

Jasper closed his red eyes, his strategic mind working overtime while he struggled to keep himself in check. The false bonds Chelsea had manipulated eased his connection to the Cullens, to all of them except Bella. A hushed phone call to his lawyer and another to Peter had Bella warned and Jasper's conscience eased. When Aro gave the order to attack, he ran straight for his former coven leader and brought Carlisle's head back to his king.

* * *

**Part II- Bullet Dodged  
**_July 7- somewhere in England_

Alistair dropped his kill when he felt a slight twinge in his chest. He checked his gift, and noticed the annoying pull he had carefully avoided for the past century was finally gone. He sent a silent thank you to whoever had destroyed the vampire unlucky enough to draw Alistair as a mate. Good riddance.


	24. Outtake 2- Luck o' the Irish

**_AN: Since I confused everyone with Alice's vision, here's Edward's story to make up for it. Tomorrow we hear from the Whitlocks ;)_**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Outtake 2- Luck o' the Irish**

The Cullens crushed their cell phones and left them in a dumpster outside the airport before boarding the plane to Dublin. They weren't sure where exactly the Irish coven was, as it had been several years since Carlisle and Esme had been by to visit. Siobhan and Liam were a bit stand-offish, so Carlisle had never brought his whole coven with him to visit some of his oldest friends.

After finding a hotel and settling in until nightfall, Edward once again contemplated the traumatic turn his life had taken. He was an expert at self-flagellation, and the past few years had provided him with more than enough ammunition.

Now he had uprooted his parents and made them move across the ocean to avoid the wrath of Bella's mate. Edward tried to tell Carlisle that he could more than adequately defend himself against the patriot. After all, he had successfully challenged Jasper on more than one occasion- his fighting skills were no match for Edward's gift.

Carlisle had the audacity to imply that Jasper actually let his brother win on those occasions, simply to avoid having to listen to Edward's displeasure if he had been bested in a fight. That was simply preposterous!

What upset Edward even more was the fact that Esme took her mate's side, saying that Garrett was a far superior warrior than even the Major. Even worse, Esme actually mourned the loss of the nomad's friendship. Wistful thoughts of happier times floated through Esme's mind; memories of immature practical jokes, attempts to break Carlisle's professional façade, and wrestling matches between Edward's Volturi-trained sire and the Revolutionary and Southern Wars veteran.

Deciding there was nothing to be done, Edward resolved to make the best of the situation. He would use this time to seek out his true mate. Setting out at dusk, he began roaming the streets in an attempt to pick up on the scent of other vampires. It took several hours before he had a lead, and the scent he found nearly knocked him down with desire.

Lavender and fresh rain, with a light hint of Irish cream, the fragrance filled his mouth with venom and his pants were suddenly uncomfortably tight. The trail was fresh, and he stretched out his gift to search for the vampire it belonged to, as he set out to follow the path on foot.

He was so preoccupied with the trail, he was completely taken off guard when a vampire landed on his shoulders and instantly had him pinned to the cold cobblestone street. The girl's thoughts were conflicted; she was aggravated that someone trespassed on her coven's territory, but she was also intrigued by his captivating scent.

Pulling his head around so she could get a better look at him, she was a bit surprised to see his golden eyes and youthful face. She was even more surprised when the mating pull grabbed hold of her tightly. Her mate was an animal drinker? Did he know Carlisle?

"I do. He's my father. Err, sire," Edward always fumbled when introducing himself to other vampires. He truly saw Carlisle as his father, but most vampire covens didn't function on familial relationships like theirs. Of course, most covens weren't made up of eternal teenagers either, but Carlisle always did make his own way.

"What?" Maggie was lost. What was the boy talking about? She didn't ask him anything. She could tell he was being honest, but she didn't know what he was being honest about. "Who are you?"

"I'm sorry!" Edward exclaimed. God, he never pictured his first meeting with his mate to go anything like this. "I can hear your thoughts. I'm Edward Cullen, and Carlisle is my sire." _Truth_. The strange thought brought him up short, and he looked closer at his pretty mate. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Maggie's Irish temper let itself be known. This boy may be tied to her for all of eternity, but she'd be damned if she was going to put up with his nosey ways. "Stay out of me head, boyo. Ye've got a lot of nerve comin' round here like that."

Edward was mesmerized by her darkening eyes and bouncing curls that were just a shade or two darker than blood. She made him thirsty. And hard. He realized at some point he began grinding his erection against the street, and stopped immediately as he was flooded with embarrassment.

Maggie smirked, seeming to know exactly what he was thinking, and leaned over to whisper in his ear, "Yeah, we'll get to that. You have to earn it though." His eyes widened as he stared at her huge red eyes and full lips that seemed to dwarf the rest of her elf-like features. In the next second she disappeared, flitting away on silent feet through the familiar (to her) city. She may as well have been part of the fae for all the good it did Edward.

He jumped up, willing his manhood to soften and trying desperately to regain his composure. He locked into her thoughts, now that he knew her voice, and took off at a run through the murky narrow streets. She led him on a circular path that eventually ended up back at the hotel where he left his parents.

Slipping in the back door, he was surprised to hear two more unfamiliar thoughts- apparently Siobhan and Liam had sought out Carlisle while Maggie was hunting and tousling with Edward. He used his key to open the door to the shared sitting room, more than a little uncomfortable to find himself the center of attention.

"Edward! Glad you made it son! I'd like to introduce you to my old friends, this is Siobhan and Liam, and I hear you already met Maggie," Carlisle wore a rare mischievous smile. _You're looking a bit disheveled there, son. Maybe you should take Maggie to your room while you clean up._

Edward was appalled at his father's thoughts, and shook his head vigorously at his sire, wide eyes begging him not to verbalize his request. It turns out he needn't have worried, his mate was perfectly capable of embarrassing him herself. "Show me your room, Edward?"

The "adults" all chuckled at Edward's obvious discomfort, but Maggie just grabbed his hand and followed his scent to the room holding his belongings. She didn't even give him a chance to speak before she pressed his back against the door and pressed her lips to his. Every protest he had fled the minute their bodies touched.

It was a surreal experience for Edward, not having to be gentle and hold his breath when kissing a girl. Maggie was a vampire, passionate and headstrong. In short, she was everything that human Bella was not. Maggie knew she had her work cut out for her, teaching her naïve mate the ways of the world, but she was looking forward to the experience.

Carlisle, Esme, Siobhan, and Liam filed out silently as the newly-mated pair's passionate sounds became more obvious. Esme offered Carlisle a teary smile- their boy was finally becoming a man.


	25. Outtake 3- Meet me in Alaska

**_AN: _****_This chapter is what immediately follows the confrontation with the wolves in Forks (ch 21) I didn't put it in the story because it didn't involve Bella and Garrett, and that was their story ;)_**

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_Disclaimer: SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**Outtake 3- Meet me in Alaska**

Garrett had protested just a little too vehemently when Peter named their destination. Thankfully, Bella was still emotional from her meeting with the wolves and the memories they stirred up to notice, but Peter already knew what- or _who_- the real issue was. Kate Denali.

Living as long as he had, Garrett had found companionship in many places over the years. He had several nomads he could call, but since he tended to stay within the borders of the United States, his choices were a bit limited. However, when he decided to follow the gold rushes to Alaska in the 1890's, he was introduced to the vampire equivalent of a brothel as well.

The Denali sisters were the original succubi, and they took their jobs quite seriously. Tanya and Irina were fairly professional, even if Irina tended to be a bit moody and Tanya didn't know how to take no for an answer. But Kate was the one who scared Garrett to death.

Kate immediately took a liking to Garrett, because she was fairly tall for a woman, at just about 6 feet tall. Garrett's height, and his scars that marked him as a strong warrior, made Kate fairly single-minded in her aggressive pursuit of the patriot.

Garrett didn't mind at first, he was even a bit flattered by her attention, and he was never one to turn down a good fuck. The problem with Kate was her gift. As he learned the first time, she tended to lose control when she was especially enjoying herself, and Garrett was pretty sure he died when she shocked him just as he was about to come.

Taking his pained cry and instant loss of arousal completely the wrong way, Kate was sure she had finally found a man who enjoyed pain in the bedroom. It didn't matter how many times Garrett told her, she still shocked him at least once whenever she managed to get him to sleep with her. Which wasn't often, as he avoided her like the plague.

Back in Forks, Charlotte and Bella bought into Garrett's line of reasoning that Bella was not ready to meet a large coven of unfamiliar vampires, especially ones who tended to be overly affectionate with the males, regardless of their mated status. Jasper and Peter looked at him skeptically, but agreed that they could use Jasper's home near Portland while the Whitlocks headed north.

They took Jasper's truck, which had been left behind three years ago when the Cullens fled from Forks, and Garrett took Peter's, listening patiently to his repeated instructions not to damage his "baby."

The Whitlocks were a bit torn as they drove slowly through Canada toward Jasper's future. They didn't know what to expect, but all were mourning what was sure to be a loss of their current relationship, as his true mate would be unlikely to share him as Alice had.

For the last few miles, Charlotte had to take over driving as Peter and Jasper talked through their past, their life together before Char, and everything that had happened since then. Peter told him they would always be there for him, no matter what he needed, even if it couldn't be the way they were accustomed to.

Pulling up to the Denali house, they were instantly on guard at the presence of several unfamiliar scents. The family filed out quickly, and it was easy to see the changes that had occurred since the last time Jasper had visited- just before the Cullens moved to Forks.

Carmen and Eleazor greeted the small coven with cautious smiles, knowing that even their superior numbers would do them little good if the Whitlocks were here looking for trouble. Kate was standing with a vampire that instantly made everyone uneasy; they couldn't stand to look at him for more than a few seconds at a time. Even Eleazor stumbled a bit through his greetings, though Peter couldn't hold back his snort of laughter when Kate's mate was introduced as "Fred."

Irina was in the background, scowling fiercely at Jasper as she blamed Laurent's demise on the Cullen family. It didn't matter that Jasper was never actually a part of that clan, in her eyes he was guilty by association. Jasper didn't even register her emotions, his eyes were glued to the curvy, dark-haired beauty standing with Tanya and an unfamiliar male.

Seeing the mutual interest, Tanya introduced her mate, Diego, and the girl he brought with her when they escaped from Seattle, Bree. Diego and Bree were close friends, with benefits, as he was an incubus and she was a succubus. In the midst of the fledgling newborn army they were able to find comfort with one another, and even the repulsive Fred was no match for the combined power of their allure. The three escaped when Riley and Victoria headed for La Push, recognizing the trip for the suicide mission that it was.

Tanya was old enough to be secure with her new mate, and sexual enough not to mind sharing him with Bree, while the three were trained in the Denalis' way of life. Tanya was more than pleased when she realized that Jasper and Bree were mated; she couldn't think of a better coven for her little sister to have her needs met.

Completely unaware of everyone else, Jasper and Bree were slowly walking toward each other, eyes locked in wonder as they looked at their mate. Bree admired Jasper's curly blonde hair, that set her instantly at ease, reminding her a bit of Tanya in a way. His scars were not an issue, she had a few of her own as well.

Jasper was in awe staring at the beautiful girl before him. She was young, maybe 16 or 17 at the time of her change, but her gift lent her an air of sexuality that made her seem older than her years. Her dark brown hair flowed around her shoulders in waves, with a few pieces occasionally drifting into her face. Her nearly-black eyebrows arched dramatically over her soft golden eyes, and her full lips slowly lifted into a beatific smile.

Without a word, she was suddenly in his arms and they were kissing and groping like no one else was there. Tanya and Peter watched them wistfully, while Diego and Charlotte wore identical scowls. If Jasper was watching, he would have found the whole situation quite humorous.

When the new couple showed no signs of stopping, or seeking privacy for their urgent need to mate, the remaining Whitlocks and Denalis retired to the house, leaving them in the snow of the front yard.

Story time led them to the disturbing discovery of the Seattle newborns' connection to Bella and her wolves. Char and Peter were instantly on guard when Irina started bitching about the wolves' destruction of Laurent, as they already knew the real story from Bella's point of view. They knew now that leaving their youngest coven mate at home was definitely a good decision.

It took three days for Jasper and Bree to come up for air, and that was only after they marked each other and Jasper took a bit too much venom for his mate's liking. She quickly set him straight, biting him right back drinking deeply enough to incapacitate him. She let him know he needed to get himself under control, and she would not allow herself to be used to feed his addiction.

Jasper was crushed by her feelings of betrayal and disappointment, in a way that he wasn't with Peter and Char. They went hunting and talked through their issues, including their complex relationships with the others. Jasper was thrilled when Bree said she wanted to live with him, as long he would help her stick to the animal diet. She also didn't mind sharing him with Peter and Charlotte, if he didn't mind sharing her.

Char was still pouting when they finally made their appearance, but Bree quickly set her at ease. Using all her succubus skills, she walked to shorter blonde vampire and looked into her wide red eyes. Charlotte was a bit startled, but the rest of the room was completely mesmerized.

"Hello, Charlotte. I'm Bree," she breathed quietly, pressing her breasts against the smaller girl and slipping one hand into her fine blonde hair. "I really hope we can be _good_ friends."

Every male in the room let out an audible groan when the girls' lips pressed together. Char melted against the younger vampire, opening her mouth and pulling her closer when Bree stroked her tongue against hers, feeling completely different than it did with Peter and Jasper.

Char's hands carefully worked their way up Bree's back to comb through the thick brown waves as she pulled her closer until there was no space left between their soft, curvy bodies. After a minute or so, Peter stepped up behind Bree, and Jasper pressed his lips to Char's neck, whispering quietly in her ear, "I think we found our missing piece, darlin'."

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_**AN: **_**_On another note, if you don't want to read the last outtake, which is an evening in the bedroom with the Whitlocks (yes, all of them), then this is your final chapter of Independence Day! Thanks again for sticking with me!_**

**_To the rest of you, I'll have that next chapter up asap- I'm excited/nervous about it, and I want it to be just right ;)_**


	26. Outtake 4- Vegas Nights

**_AN: This is it! Final chapter. Just a warning, this is a look at the four Whitlocks in the bedroom. It has m/m, m/f, f/f, and every combination of the above as well. If you're not a fan of slash/femslash or poly, DO NOT READ THIS. It's probably the longest lemon I have ever written, and I have to say it's one of my favorites. I hope you enjoy it too!_**

**_If you need a visual to help you, go check the links on my bio. I found really good vamp-like pics for the girls ;) Have fun!_**

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_Disclaimer: __SM owns all, I just screw around with them._

**_Outtake 4- Vegas Nights_**

**Jasper POV  
**We said good night to Bella and Garrett, noticing that they picked a room on the other side of the hotel; I'd really have to stretch my gift tonight. Charles and Makenna gave us an odd look as they walked into their room next door- they really didn't know what was coming.

I was so happy when Bella finally gave in and told that uptight soldier she's mated to that she would marry his old ass. I had to laugh when I thought about what Alice's reaction would have been to their tacky Vegas wedding.

"What's so funny, Jas?" My sexy little mate slid up behind me, reaching around to unbutton my shirt as she pressed her gorgeous breasts against my back. Peter and Char were already on the bed, so the lust was swirling around me in a thick cloud.

A sudden thought made me panic and I whirled around to cup Bree's face in my hands. "Are you sure you don't want all this? A wedding or anything? We can do it while we're here if you want, or when we get back home."

Bree swore to me that she didn't want to marry me, she just wanted Jenks to change her name to Whitlock like the rest of us. She felt like a wedding was unnecessary, saying that she was happy to get all three of us and not just me alone. I tried not to be offended when she said things like that, because it was honestly a dream come true for me.

"Baby, if you ask me that one more time, I'm gonna marry Charlotte. Now shut up and kiss me." Well, yes ma'am. Can do.

Her spicy scent filled my senses, overwhelming me as her taste exploded on my tongue. She was a sensual blend of sweet apricot and cypress, a perfect complement to Char's softer magnolia blossom.

As I pulled back from the kiss I realized why Charlotte was so heavily on my mind. Her soft blonde hair was peeking over Bree's shoulder as she kissed up the side of my mate's neck, while her hands untied the knot on her wrap shirt so I could reach in and slip it off her beautiful shoulders.

Bree turned her head to capture Char's lips, and I turned my attention to the light assortment of scars on her shoulders and arms, fighting back the remorse and anger that filled me every time I saw the blemishes I felt I should have been able to prevent. If we hadn't left Forks, left Bella, I might have found Bree before she was turned, or at least before she was damaged too badly but-

"Knock that shit off, Major," Peter's smooth voice filled my ear, as his hands eased the tension in my muscles. His kiss on my neck sent a shiver down my spine, then his teeth were on me, roughly chewing on the muscle beneath his favorite mark. He'd left many over the years, as I had on him, but he consistantly returned to his first on the top of my left shoulder.

I opened my eyes when he nudged my chin up, as he pulled me back to lean against his chest. Both of our cocks grew even harder as we looked at our beautiful women enjoying each other's bodies. "Look at them, aren't they perfect? Have you ever seen anything more beautiful than that?"

Glancing back at him over my shoulder, I pictured the way he looked with both of our girls riding him, Bree on his cock and Char on his face, as they kissed and groped each other above him. Yeah, I had no shortage of beautiful images to offset the negative ones that filled my first century of this life.

I reached back and grabbed his neck, pulling him down for a rough, brutal kiss, the kind of kiss only he can give me, and finally relaxed against my captain, my Peter. "Sorry," I whispered, knowing he understood everything that encompassed. My regrets, my self-doubts, and every single mark he and Char had received under my care.

Turning our attention back to our mates, I saw that Charlotte was completely bare, and she was working to remove Bree's pants, even as Peter unbuttoned mine and worked them over my hips, freeing my erection and drawing out a grateful moan.

My hands joined Char's as we worshipped Bree's perfect breasts, teasing the small pink nipples to tight peaks. The four of us drew closer together as Peter stepped around me to pull my mate in for a deep kiss, and Charlotte went lower to bury her face in that delicious pussy.

"Bree, baby, I think you're doing it again," I pushed down the lust enough to focus on my mate, reminding her to tone down her own succubus powers, something she had to learn to work with after she left the Denalis' company.

With her previous partners, they were all more evenly matched, though she said Tanya tended to take control most often because her age gave her a stronger lure than the others. We have experienced it ourselves when Tanya and Diego came to visit Bree. Those times were actually a challenge for my gift, as I tended to project more than normal, and my own body had difficulty keeping up with the high levels of lust and affection that three open, mated pairs generated.

"Sorry, Jas. Come on, let's go to the bed," Bree said, stepping away from the rest of us as the light haze of her power lifted, leaving us disoriented for a few seconds.

I reached down to lift Char to her feet, unable to resist stealing a kiss from my sweet southern girl, whose lips tasted heavily of my mate's arousal. Peter came up behind her, pressing her between us as his hands freely roamed her soft curves, lingering on her full breasts, and my own hands reached out to tease her wet folds.

Char would always be special to me- the first woman I loved, and the first newborn I let escape, even if that was more for Peter's sake than hers at the time. It was later, after the wars, when she eased her way into my heart, patching me up and healing my soul as best she could. Looking between Peter and Bree, I let them know what was on my mind, "I need Char tonight, guys. Is that ok?"

Of course, it was. We had a strict honesty policy where we swore we would let our needs be known, and try to accommodate one another as best we could. Peter nodded as he stepped toward the bed, though he nipped at my ear and growled, "I get you later though, Major."

I chuckled darkly, thinking we might need to relocate for that encounter. I wasn't sure the hotel was sturdy enough if my captain was going to be rough. Char shivered with desire as I lifted her up and flooded her with my love, adding only a small touch of lust to what she already felt. "Take me, Jasper. Do it now."

I couldn't hold back my growl as she wrapped her slender legs around my waist and tucked her face against my neck, breathing deeply. I plunged my cock into her with one smooth stroke at the same time I thrust my tongue into her mouth, seeking out her soft, comforting flavor. Char had always tasted like home.

Turning our bodies slightly so we both had a clear view of the bed, I began thrusting into her with a slow, burning rhythm, wanting to draw out the encounter as long as I could. Char rested her cheek against mine and sighed happily as we watched our mates seduce each other on the oversized hotel bed.

Peter and Bree had a different relationship, more teasing and playful than Char and I. Right now he was on top of her, running his fingers over her skin, touching her everywhere except where she needed it the most. Her anticipation rivaled his mischievousness, and I knew for a fact she would break first.

I was mesmerized by the strong lines of Peter's back as he shifted and moved above her. One sexy long leg finally reached up and wrapped over his hip, heel digging into the back of his strong thigh. "Just fuck me already, Peter! Damn it!"

Yep, she caved. Char and I laughed softly with Peter as he pulled back and gave her his devilish grin. "Your wish is my command, my lady," his sexy drawl brought sighs from all three of us, and suddenly we weren't close enough at all.

As he plunged into her tight depths, I moved around the side of the bed and carefully laid Char down beside them. I leaned over to kiss both Bree and Peter before turning my attention back to Peter's mate, sinking gratefully into her comforting heat once more.

The girls reached out and held hands without even looking for each other; they have such a close bond, something I couldn't be more grateful for. I didn't know what to expect when I found my mate, but I know I would never have been happy if Bree was jealous of my other loves.

Time lost meaning as the four of us moved together; Char and I slow and sensual, while Peter and Bree were fast and hard. As the lust rose higher and higher, I invariably lost control of my gift and we quickly approached climax together. The girls had their faces together again, and the sight of their pale pink tongues fighting for dominance was nearly enough to push me over.

I looked at Peter, silently grasping the hand he held out to me as he flooded me with the love he held just for me. My other hand slid beneath Charlotte's shoulder to tangle in that soft blonde hair I loved so much. I closed my eyes, losing myself in the feeling of my lovers as the waves of ecstasy washed over and through me.

I leaned over to kiss each of my girls as we heard the muffled cries from the vampires and humans that were in range of my gift, and we all chuckled softly at the sounds of pleasure our love inspired, until I realized Peter was still not sated.

I glanced at my captain, raising my eyebrow as I sent him my curiosity mingled with desire, and I didn't have to wait long. Peter rolled backwards, wrapping his arms around me to pull me off the bed as he dropped to his knees and took my cock in his mouth. He hummed contentedly at the combined flavors of mine and Char's release, making my knees buckle and my eyes roll back in my head.

I let out a whimper when he pulled away and looked back at the girls cuddling on the bed. "Bree, girl, this shit is good! You should try it for yourself!"

Before I could blink, Bree was diving between Char's legs, diligently cleaning her with every sexy little swipe of her tongue. She glanced back at me over her shoulder with lowered eyelids and a seductive growl, letting me know the girls would be just fine while I took care of Peter.

Pulling him up by his hair, I crashed my lips against his, constantly fighting for control against the only male vampire I would ever willingly submit to. I pressed my teeth into the mark that turned him, satisfied with his needy moan, "Come on Pete, let's go try out the shower..."

He shadowed me closely, never losing contact with my skin as I turned on the water and pulled him beneath the steamy spray. Our eyes met, and for the briefest moment I was thrust back in time to the day I changed Peter and took him as my own. I looked into those red eyes that I loved so much and was so grateful he stuck by me all these years.

Seeing the need in his eyes and feeling it in his emotions, I straightened my back and hardened my gaze slightly, "What's the plan, soldier?"

His joy flared briefly before his desire took over. He lowered his eyes submissively and bared his neck. "You tell me, _Major,_" he purred seductively. Oh, hell yeah. Time to show my captain who's in charge. For now, at least.

"Hands on the wall, and spread 'em. Your ass is mine, _Captain_." And round two is _on._


End file.
